Member of Miach's Familia
by NakaruSoul
Summary: Go on adventures? Nah, no time for that. Dealing with a cult that threatens the entirety of Orario? I'll let the main casts deal with that. What am I going to do you ask? Earn enough money to pay off my Familia's debt of course.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Alright, a few things to note before you begin.**

**1) I might get facts wrong about the Danmachi universe so please do tell me when I do.**

**2) My English is not the best since I typically just sleep in school instead of, you know, studying.**

**And lastly,**

**3) This is actually a plot bunny so the story is not fully flesh out yet. Ideas are welcome.**

**Okay, I'm done. Please do enjoy.**

**-0-**

There will always be a time in your life where you would question the decisions that you've made that led you to where you are now. The countless paths that you could've taken that would've led to multiple different outcomes and yet, you somehow manage to choose all the right ones that put you that predicament in the first place and you couldn't help but wonder what life would be like had you just taken another path.

Since I'm leading the story with that, you can predictably guess that time for me is right now.

"Oh sonova-" I let spew an unrestrained curse but was interrupted when I had to duck under a swiping claw of a Kobold least I lose my eyes.

Just in case you didn't know, a Kobold is a humanoid creature with a dog's head. It's a very odd sight I know but trust me when I say that it's not the strangest thing that you'll see in this world.

I retaliated by kneeing the creature at where the balls would be at if it had any. Thankfully, the monsters in this world didn't have any genitals. Can you imagine the amount of bestiality there would be if they had? There are Goblins in this world, GOBLINS! If this world was the anime that shalt not be named, there would be plenty newbie female Adventurers being raped at all times.

Good thing that the Goblins in this world is only interested in killing them instead of fornicating with them. Thank god for small miracles right?

The Kobold let out a pained cry and flinched back involuntarily, creating some distance between us that I exploited mercilessly. I lunged in and thrust the short sword in my hand into it's throat. The sword dug into the Kobold's flesh with a bit of resistance and because of poor maintenance, it snapped in half from the force of my thrust.

The Kobold fell down to the floor with a piece of my sword in it's neck, gurgling in it's own blood before finally ceasing movement. I look towards the broken weapon in my hand and cursed again at the bad timing. I knew not taking care of it would come to bite me in the ass one day but I honestly don't have the time to do so. _So this is how much __abuse __I could expect from a guild issued weapon __to take__ before it br__eaks__. _I thought to myself as I look in front of me.

Now that the Kobold is dealt with, let's get back to the reason why I was regretting my decisions. It's mainly because I had my back to a wall and is about to be gang banged by a bunch of other hairy doggos that's en route to my location along with a few goblins thrown into the mix as well. _Note to self, memorize the map before going to a new floor._ I let out a growl as I ready myself for combat, trying my best not to let my enemies out of my sight as they started to enter my vision.

As to what led me to this predicament, it all started from when I tried killing a monster while exploring the new floor that I've just been authorized to enter this morning. Like a noob that I am, I did not properly make sure that there's nothing nearby while I killed it, causing it's friends to hear it's dying cry and came charging at me. The numbers were a lot more than I would normally fight against so I did the smart thing and bailed. Unfortunately, this is a floor that I've never been to so I am not familiar with the routes to take in order to return to the previous floor. Instead of reaching somewhere safe, I ran around like a headless chicken, unfortunately attracting more monsters until I hit a dead end in a narrow passageway and thus, leaving me in this situation.

In hindsight, had I just killed those Kobolds when they came to me, I wouldn't be facing against such uneven odds right now. Now I'm going to be maul to death by a bunch of werewolf rejects and the typical ugly bastards in hentai doujins. Why did I even want to be an Adventurer again? Oh right, money problems.

_Alright, __let's __assess the situation._ I thought and did a head count on the amount of monsters that I have to deal with. I counted 20 total from what I could see running my way and that's a lot more than the 3 at a time that I'm used to dealing with. Right now the nearest monsters are the Kobolds and the Goblins are still catching up a few paces behind them. Good, that means I don't have to deal with them all at once.

That Kobold that I killed just now was the fastest among the group so it reached me first before the rest of it's peers could. The rest could arrive at different intervals, allowing me to deal with them 1 or 2 at a time if I'm lucky.

My weapon is now broken, halving my range effectively so it's now more of a dagger than a short sword. I'll just have to keep that in mind while I fight so I don't mistake my range for the sword that I'm accustomed to using.

Looking around yields no path of escape so if I want to survive this, I have to deal with those monsters before me.

Okay, options. What are my options.

Fighting them all sounds very stupid because I'm very low on stamina from all the running I did. Do I create an opening and run? No, wait. That won't solve the issue of not knowing where I am and I could be running around aimlessly again and end up at another dead end with even more monsters after me.

Ugh, looks like killing them all is the only option available for me. I just have to be conservative with my actions in order to conserve stamina then, no biggie right? Whose balls do I have to fondle to get a gun around here. I would literally kill a god for an assault rifle right now.

I watch tensely as they got nearer and had to let out a sign of annoyance when I saw that they had grouped up when coming through the narrow corridor. "There goes my luck." I murmured as I steady myself, ignoring the small voice in the back of my head constantly shouting 'I'm so fucked' in favor of letting my mind sink into what I like'd to call, 'Combat Trance'. It's a neat trick that I have. It filter out every stray thoughts and allows me to focus solely on my surroundings and objectives.

Knowing that I couldn't do anything about how the monsters are approaching me, I chose to ignore that faint hope that maybe I could get them to separate somehow and started crouching down into a sprinting start. I plan to spring towards the nearest monster to kill it and take out a few more when they're still surprised before fighting to the death with the rest. As I crouch down, my hand brush against the pouch hanging on my waist and my eyes widen slightly when I realized that it's still there. To be fair, I've never really need to use it before so I may have forgotten about it for a bit.

_Well, this changes everything. _I thought to myself with the feeling of relief blooming in my chest. In my haste to escape, I had forgotten that I have brought along tools that could help me when I got into tough situations such as this.

I quickly dug into the pouch with my free hand and procure a bunch of small marble size smoke bombs in my palm, all homemade. They would make this a whole lot easier than what I originally had in mind

_Okay, new plan. Smoke assassination it is._ I close my hand around the smoke bombs and use the spare cloth that I have in the pouch to cover the lower half of my face so I don't inhale any smoke. I got into a running start, turning my entire attention towards the incoming horde.

Predictably, the Kobolds were at the forefront of the small mob since they were faster then the Goblins. They all charge at me with the intent to decorate the space with my blood and guts.

Once they were but a few meters away from reaching me, I shot forwards like an arrow, kicking up dust and dirt behind me. I ram my broken sword into the nearest Kobold's head and used it's body as a shield to ram against another onto the ground. While that was happening, I use my other arm to throw the smoke bombs into the ground, causing an extremely thick smoke screen to erupt on impact, effectively covering the entire area that I'm in with black fumes. I'm now shrouded in smoke, making me invisible to my enemies but in return, it also hides them from my view as well.

I could hear the confused cries and coughing of the monster around me and I smiled because I could use the noises to pinpoint exactly where they are while they remain unaware of my position.

I could hear the Kobold that I had knock onto the ground getting up and I move swiftly towards where it is and saw it's silhouette in the smoke. I slid it's throat before it could cause me trouble; blood sprayed and it's body thump against the ground while I kept on moving. I focus on ears on the sounds that the monsters are making and my eyes on any moving silhouettes, repeating what I have done with the rest of the monsters.

Soon, the smoke lifted and the floor was littered with the carcasses of my enemies. I took off my mask and the bag on my back so I could sit against the wall without harming it's contents, panting like a dog as I try to regain my bearings.

_I think this should be enough for the day._ I thought to myself as I look over the mess that I've made. I lean my head against the wall and took deep breaths. _I'll just rest up a bit before I dig the magic stones out and head back. Yeah, sounds like a plan. _

I kept my awareness of my surroundings up at all times while I rested, thinking to myself about the mistakes that I've made today and what I could to do improve myself.

I also gave myself a once-over to check the damage that I had sustained so far. My black long sleeved shirt, trousers and boots are all fine and is merely covered in dirt._ At least I don't have much blood on me this time. I'll be able to sleep early tonight instead of __spending__ the night washing it off my clothes._ As you can see, I have a black theme going for me because it's useful for stealth. Being a solo Adventurer meant that I have no one to watch my back so I had to improvise with sneaking around and killing things. It's not as fast as a frontal assault but definitely safer...so long as I don't get spotting like I did earlier.

My Guild issued chest armor looks worn and has some light scratches and small dents on it but those were from older engagements. My sword on the other hand, is now half the length it used to be. _Can it be repaired?_ I thought as I look at it, wondering if I should look for a blacksmith later. Then I remembered how much services like that cost and immediately drop that idea. _Oh screw it, I'll just file it down __when I get home __and turn it into__ a dagger instead._ I grumbled internally.

I sheath my sword into it's scabbard on my waist and focus on recovering as much energy as I can for my trip back. It won't be pretty if I run into more monsters and is too tired to even fight or run.

Now that I'm reasonably safe, well, as safe as one could get in the Dungeon, I figured now is as good as any to start the exposition about my backstory like any anime would do when a character is introduced. You probably noticed the references that I've made earlier and came to a conclusion that I am not from this world. If you did, then you're absolutely right.

But since I'm not really in the mood for long winded exposition that the main characters somehow always manage to spew out of their asses that took the entirety of an episode, I'll keep the explanation of how I arrive to this world brief. In fact, I'll do mine in two sentences that all weebs would understand.

Truck-kun.

Isekai'd.

There, got it? You do? Good, because I lied about the first one. I died from a mortar strike….no wait, I actually survived the mortar strike, I just have half my body blown away and bleed to death. Or did I die from the shock? Hmm, I can't quite recall. So in short, I'm just another casualty in war as they would say, World War 3 to be more specific.

Truth be told, I find that it's a bit of an overkill that they would use mortars against me. I mean, a greasily death is to be expected when one is fighting on the front line; doubly so when one is put on a suicide squad, but unleashing an entire barrage of mortars just so they could kill me? I'm flattered.

Anyways, when I opened my eyes again I found myself in this world and had been living in it for 14 years. Apparently it's from an anime that I've watched many years ago called Dan...something something. Don't be surprise but over here, there's Gods and Goddesses living in this world with us mortals and a big ass Dungeon that spawn monsters looking like they came from Satan's anus.

I must admit that the idea of having divine entities walking among us pitiful mortals is a concept that I have the most trouble wrapping my head around, mostly because I'm an atheist.

So, in order for me to accept that they exist, I merely think of them as overpowered people with bullshit abilities instead of omnipotent beings that could snap me out of existence with a flick of their fingers. Same thing, but different.

When one think of being Isekai'd into Dan-something-something, one would normally think that they're either:

A) Be the main protagonist and take Bell's place.

Or

B) Is an extra character that could join Hestia's Familia and go on adventures with the main cast.

Right? Totally a normal thing to assume, right?

Well you're wrong in both account. First off, Hestia hasn't even come down from Heaven to grace us unworthy mortals with her divine (Read: bouncy) presence yet and secondly, I'm in another Familiar, Miach's Familia.

An odd choice of Familia to pick you say? Well, not much I could do about that since I was a member of this Familia from the moment I was born. My parents were members of the Familia so being born in it, it automatically meant that I'm a member as well. I was raised and taken care off quite well so I don't have much to complain about it. It's a rather well off one too. Well, it _was_ until tragedy struck us a few months ago, causing me to lose my parents and leaving my Familia in a large debt.

Almost everyone left the Familia soon after, leaving only me and my little sister in all but blood as the only ones who had decided to stayed behind the sinking ship that is the Miach Familia. We both have our reasons for doing so, mine is out of gratitude for Miach for taking care of me and my parents back when they were still alive. It's also because that guy is just too nice for his own good and kept giving things away for free.

Afterwards, the shop that we own stopped getting much business now due to losing most of our stock because of the debt and is unable to meet our customers wants, causing them to go elsewhere to get what they want instead. Right now we have no way of replenishing the high quality stuff to attract our old customers back and we're barely holding on.

I quickly realized that we needed another source of income. Dungeon diving is easily the most profitable thing to do in the city of Orario so it's only natural that I chose to become an Adventurer. There was some opposition from my God of course, as he wanted me to stay home where it's safe but I ignore his protests and went anyway. I know that we desperately needed money and this is the only way I can help. I'm shit at potion brewing despite being in a Familia that focuses on that so what else can I do but put this body through hard labor.

And there you go, the entire reason of why I'm risking my life dungeon diving in the first place. I assure you that it has nothing to do with my childish desire to fight against monsters, honest.

…..

…

Okay fine, I lied. I wanna fight against monsters as well; there's nothing wrong with that. I mean, what hot-blooded teenage boy wouldn't? I blame anime for filling my head with fantasies of that.

At any rate, the exposition is done and I'm feeling rested. Time to get back to work.

**-0-**

**Orario- The Guild**

**-0-**

"Here you go, a total of 3500 Valis." I heard the Guild Employee said in a professional tone and watch as the coins get dropped onto the tray. I pick them up one by one while counting them mentally to ensure that not a single Valis is missing. It's a lot less than what I normally earned on a daily basis since I decided to leave early but it's not as less as it would've been if it weren't for the monster drops that I got lucky with. Thank you RNGesus, I'll be sure to sacrifice goats for you in the future. No wait, that's the method for thanking Lootcifer. Anyway, I'll most likely still meet my weekly quota so I don't have to worry about not earning a lot today.

Satisfied that I'm in no way being cheated, I place them inside my pouch of holding hanging on my waist next to my tool pouch. It's just a normal pouch but I like to call it that because why not?

"The distrustful eyes that you have when you counted your coins really hurts me my friend. You know I'd never cheat you of your money." The guild member said to me in mock hurt, obviously more laid back now that our transaction is done.

"Yeah well, math was never your strong point so it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Hey! I'll have you know that my math absolutely superb thank you very much. Anyway, congratulations on surviving another day Cain-kun. For a kid your age, you sure are doing quite well on your own. Reaching the 4th floor only after a few months of your Adventurer career with no help and prior training to give you a boost, not bad, not bad at all."

You know what I find weird about Orario? It's that despite being a hot spot for western deities, everyone here is using Japanese honorifics. The rest of the world is the same as well. It's like the eastern deities infected everyone in the world with Japanese culture and everyone just accepted it as the norm. But then again, it may have to do with the fact that the Light Novel was written by a Japanese.

"Thank you. If anyone asks about the secret to my success, please tell them that my stubbornness in regards to not dying is what got me so far. Oh, that and also my desire to not die a virgin." I deadpanned.

"Ah yes, the power of wanting to get laid is the best drive any men could have to see them through tough situations." He nodded sagely. "Oh right, I know that you're a busy guy and all but you should go see your advisor first before you leave. She's still quite new to all this and seeing her first charge return safe and sound would do her a great service. Poor girl needs more confidence in her decisions; she was fretting all day, worrying that something might go wrong after authorizing your new floor."

I mull over his words and started rubbing my chin in thought, wondering whether I should go reassure my advisor that I'm still alive and well or be a dick and go back home.

"Oh, I know that look Cain-kun. You're thinking of being an asshole again aren't you?"

"What? I would never." I defended myself while trying to sound as offended as possible, causing the Guild member to snort before giving me a pointed look.

I rolled my eyes and dropped the act. Hmm, now that I think about it, I do need to preview the map of the new floor and properly memorize it as well as acquiring more data regarding the monsters on the floor lower than that just in case they decided to climb up. Huh, l_ooks like I'll be visiting my advisor after all._ "Alright fine, I'll go talk to her. She's right to worry though, something bad almost did happen to me today." I replied as I turn around to leave.

"Huh? Hey wait. You can't just leave after saying something like that! Cain-kun!? Tell me what happened buddy!" I pause in my steps and turn my head around to look at him over my shoulder. Then I offered him the best shit eating grin I can manage before leaving, knowing full well that he's going to be absolutely brimming with curiosity and will have no way to know about what almost happened to me unless someone tells him.

He's just too curious for his own good and wants to know every little thing that happens. Can't blame him though, working at the exchange area is usually a bore unless someone brings in something rare to exchange. I think I'll just let him stew on it for a day before telling him, I'm not that evil after all.

"Damn youuuuuuuu Caiiiinnnn! I know you're doing this on purpose!" I ignore his voice and kept on walking to where the receptionists are.

**-0-**

As I got close to where the reception area is, I saw the familiar figure of my advisor. There she stood, with her short pink hair and eyes, looking rather bored and lost in her own world. It's still quite early so most of the Adventurers are still in the Dungeon. They mostly only come in during the mornings and evenings so it wouldn't be weird that for the receptionists have to a lot of free time during the time in between.

The girl is quite young as an advisor, somehow managing to get a job at the Guild at a tender age of 14 along with her friend. From what I have gathered, they joined the guild right after freshly graduating from school and is good enough to impress them that they hire the two on the spot.

Right now she's wearing the standard Guild uniform that consist of a set of black vest and pants with a white collared long sleeve shirt underneath, a gray bow tie and black shoes. Because of her age and height, she looked like a child trying on her parent's business suit in my eyes. Absolutely adorable.

Oh, it looks like she finally noticed me. We made eye contact and the bored expression on her face was instantly replaced with a large smile filled with relief. After that, she quickly move to straighten herself and force her expression to look natural, which she is failing at because her lips keep twitching upward.

What's this? She's totally trying to act professional isn't she? Normally, she'd be waving her arms like a madwoman the moment she saw me. Wonder what's changed? Maybe I should investigate a bit and find out?

With that in mind, I started looking at everything else but her and started my approach, noticing the slightly confused look on her face in my peripheral vision. I kept on walking towards her while pretending to sight see. Just when I was about to a few meters away from her desk, I did an immediate 90 degree turn to my right and walk towards the receptionist beside her.

"Hey there Eina-chan." I greeted the bespectacled female Half-Elf that was seated next to my advisor with a grin instead of greeting my advisor herself. Mostly because I know it'll make her mad.

Said person quickly look up from the paperwork that she was working on and a pair of emerald colored eyes met mine as she brush aside her long, brown hair behind her ear. As a Half-Elf, Eina shares a similar physical trait that her full blooded counterpart all have: long, pointy ears.

"Oh! Good afternoon Cain-san. You're back early today, it's only a bit after midday." Eina greeted me back with a small smile of her own.

"Yeah, some stuff happened and I decided to come back early."

"I see. While I do appreciate that you're spending your time to talk with me, shouldn't you be talking with Misha-san instead? You know, your actual advisor?" She said, shifting her eyes to the side and I followed suit.

We saw that Misha is currently looking at us while pouting hard with slightly red cheeks and both her fists were shaking in front of her chest in indignation.

I quickly turn my attention back to the Half-Elf. "You're right, maybe I should…." I said while nodding before I lean in a bit closer and started whispering. "Or, we could just pretend to do small talk and laugh just to see how long she can last before she barge into our conversation?" I suggested with a wagging eyebrow, knowing full well that Eina enjoys teasing her friend as much as I do because she was being teased all the time by Misha back when they're in school.

"You, Cain-san, are a very cruel man." She replied with a disapproving frown on her face. "You shouldn't tease your Advisor so much, it's unbecoming of you to do so."

We simply stared at each other after that. She held her reproachful look for a few seconds before she let out a snort and started giggling and I join in with a small chuckle of my own.

"Stop ignoring me already!" Came Misha's displeased cry for attention and we both turn to face her with large smiles on our faces. The pinked haired girl looked like she wanted to pound her tiny fists at me as she glared cutely at me like an offended kitten. Like I've said, absolutely adorable.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. You just look too cute when you're mad." I told her and it seem to only get her even madder because her face is becoming even redder now. Eina just giggled at her friend's expression, causing Misha to shot her a look of betrayal.

"So Misha-chan, any reason why you're trying to act all professional for? Last I've checked, you both are still in training so being a bit lax should be fine right? Speaking of which, I don't see your supervisor anywhere. Isn't he suppose to look out for you both while you man the counter?" I said as I look around the area for any sign of their supervisor.

"Rehmer-san needed to step out for a bit to deal with a particularly tricky Adventurer so it's just us for now until he gets back." Misha informed me and I nodded. Yeah, troublesome Adventurers does appear from time to time. It'd be bad news for rookies like these two if they had to deal with them.

"What about your behavior from earlier then?" I asked the pink haired girl.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean why you weren't waving like a madwoman when you saw me earlier like you use to."

"Wha- I most certainly do not wave like a madwoman when I see you." Came Misha's panicked reply along with a bit of pink appearing on her face from what I presume to be embarrassment.

I merely offered her smug smile that told her that she wasn't fooling anyone. "So, I'm guessing that you got told by your superior about needing to be professional at all times or something?" I asked, changing the topic to something else.

Misha's shoulder went slump and she let out a sigh. "Yeah, something like that. Our superior noticed how Eina and I were chatting away like we were at a cafe or something and gave us a stern talking to. Mr. Rehmer can be really strict when he wants to be. I've been trying my best to act all serious all day today but it's just so hard." Misha said as she let out a pitiful whine.

"It's your fault if I recall. We wouldn't have been caught if you weren't so loud." Eina chipped in.

"Hey! You were the one that made me laugh in the first place." Misha shot back as she pointed an accusing finger towards the Half-Elf.

"Here's a suggestion: maybe just be yourself? I don't see anything wrong with the way you are; so as long as you aren't that loud when your superior is nearby, you should be fine." I said, interrupting the two.

"No way, I am a member of the Guild so it's my job to be professional."

"Uh huh. You, being professional? I'd imagine we'd have more luck getting the sky to rain gold." I teased.

"I totally can do it! Just watch me!" Misha fumed, looking rather offended by my lack of faith in her ability.

"Sure, sure, Miss professional. Whatever you say." I told her with both my hands raised in a placating manner. "Oh, and before we all get sidetracked even further, I actually have another reason for coming over other than showing you two that I'm still alive and teasing Misha."

"Really?" Misha asked with an eyebrow quirked in obvious interest. "What is it then?"

"I'll need to see the map of the 4th floor, as well as the bestiary that the Guild has."

"But didn't you examine the map just this morning? And what do you even need the bestiary for? Don't you always keep a notebook with you that has everything about the monsters you would encounter noted down already?" Misha tilted her head to the side cutesily with a confused look on her face.

"Yes, but back then I was too excited at the prospect of going to a new floor to properly memorize it and I need the bestiary so I can update my notes to include monsters from the floor below just in case." I explain my reasoning for needing the two items.

Misha gained a look of understanding and nodded. "Okay, sure. Let's go to the private room so you can look them over without bothering others."

Eina's eyes suddenly gained a mischievous glint. "Oh my, inviting a boy to a room so you could be alone together already? You sure do work fast Misha."

Misha's face turned bright red. "That is not what I'm doing and you know it!" She growled at the Half-Elf, causing her to chuckle. "I'll get back at you for this Eina! When you become interested in a man one day, know that I will be there to tease you relentlessly about it! Mark my words!" Misha all but shouted out as she stomp away, looking peeved.

"Did you really have to do that? Now she's going to be glaring at me the entire time." I said to Eina in exasperation.

"I'll leave you two to it then." Eina giggled and I rolled my eyes before following Misha.

**-0-**

I let out a happy sigh as I lay sideways on one of the couch present in every private room that the guild has. I could feel my body sinking deeply into the soft cotton seat and the stress that I have in me slowly melts away into blissful oblivion.

When one spends an entire day fighting for his life, he would no doubt build up stress within his body from being constantly alert and wary of any attack that might come his way. I find that letting it build up too much without a way to release it is generally a bad thing for the body so any chance I got to de-stress is one that I would take gladly as I am a very busy guy.

"I'm totally going to marry this couch in the future." I murmured as I feel myself being lulled into slumber.

"Didn't you say you wanted to marry your kitchen in the future?" I heard Misha said, accompanied by the sound of something being place down on the table placed in front of the couches. The setting was arranged in a way so that both sides would be facing each other with a table in the middle.

"Hmmm, you're right. Maybe I'll just marry them both. I don't think I can live without one or the other." I said lazily and I could practically feel Misha rolling her eyes at me.

"I'm sure you'll manage somehow. Anyway, here's what you asked for." She told me and I reluctantly pull my lazy ass up from the comfortable couch so I could sit properly. On the table I spot a large sheet of paper all rolled up as well as a very thick book.

I took out my notebook and place it on the table. Then I spread open the paper, revealing the layout for the 4th floor of the dungeon and opened the book to the page about monsters in the 5th. I started scanning through them both, jotting down what I find interesting or important. That's right, I can multitask, be in awe at my ability to do two things at once.

"Do you need me to bring you some refreshments while you work?" Misha offered as I was starting to get to work.

"Yes please!" I immediately replied, feeling grateful that Misha is such a considerate girl.

"Tea as always?"

"Always." I nodded seriously. "Thanks Misha-san, you're the best." I told her with a smile.

Misha gave me a smile of her own and went out to get my drink. I turn my attention back to the information before me and started soaking them in, my hand jotting down important notes that will no doubt aid me in the future.

**-0-**

**Orario- North West Street**

**-0-**

After spending 2 hours painstakingly burning the image of the 4th floor into my brain and jotting down important details about War Shadows and Frog Shooters into my notebook, I bid the girls goodbye after returning the items to Misha and left the guild.

I was on my way back home while busily sorting through the information in my mind when I noticed something happening in front of me.

There was a crowd of people there. They were gathered on the street and forming a circle for some reason. From how rowdy they sounded, it seems like something interesting is going on.

Needless to say, I got curious myself and went to join the crowd to see what's up.

Using my secret skill that I gained many years ago from surviving hordes of impatient and angry women during markets sales, I easily weave through the crowd and arrive at the front with ease. Truly, it's the most essential skill to have if I ever decided to become a househusband like I had originally intended before shit happened.

In the middle of the crowd encirclement I saw a pair of young Amazoness duking it out with some guys. It couldn't even be called a fight as the girls were easily trouncing the dudes. Seeing them demolish the guys with such ease, I'm guessing that they're either level 1s with extremely high stats or level 2s.

As Amazons, they have their signature tanned skin and they both have black hair and brown eyes. They looked about the same age from what I can tell. 11 or 12 years old maybe? One may think that it's out of the ordinary for kids to reach this level of strength but I'd like to beg the differ. I mean, I know a kid that managed to reach level 2 just within a year of joining a Familia. Man, kids these days are scary.

An important thing to note is that the Amazon with longer hair has a slightly more developed body while the one with short hair is still like a child's.

_Who are they__?_ I thought to myself as they seem familiar to me somehow. My foreknowledge of this world is spotty and unreliable at best so I don't really know if they would play an important role in the future. You can't blame me for not knowing, I can't even remember what I ate last night and it's been years since I last saw anything related to Dan-something-something.

While I was busy thinking, the girls seem to have enough with playing around and ended the fight without me realizing. The guys were on the ground looking battered but very much alive. They looked fine aside from having their ego bruised and would probably be all healed after a good nights rest.

"Well then, is there anyone else who wants to give us a shot? Remember, we'll only join your Familia if you manage to beat us." The Amazon with long hair spoke out confidently, like she knew that there's no one here that could beat them. The other one was looking around while whistling with her hands hooked behind her head.

A few moments pass by with murmurs going through the crowd and no one stood up to answer the girls' challenge. Seeing that there isn't anyone stepping up, the girl spoke again. "Since no one here is going to face us, I guess we'll go look elsewhere. We'll be going around searching for people who could _actually_ give us a challenge so if you feel like manning up and face us, feel free to come find us."

With her piece said, the crowd started to disperse while I stayed on my spot, still digging through the archive in my head that I named 'Approximate Knowledge of Many Things'.

So lost in thought as I was, I didn't notice the people were leaving nor did I notice that the Amazoness were heading my way. Apparently, I was unknowingly staring at them in my distracted state and because of that, the girl with long hair seem to take it as a challenge or something.

"What are staring at so intensely there for bud? You want to have a go as well?" She asked with a grin, obviously ready for more fighting.

Her words jerked me back to reality and I paled slightly at the prospect of fighting either of them. "Nope. No thanks. I'm still tired and sore from fighting in the Dungeon earlier today and I'm not so stupid as to fight against someone who looked like they could snap me in half. Besides, I'm just a level 1, the best I could do is bleed aggressively on you and hope that you'll be annoyed with the mess I left." Left unsaid was the fact that they're both shorter than me so I'd most likely have my fragile ego destroyed as well.

"That's not right. You're a man aren't you? You should have more confidence in yourself." The Amazon with short hair told me while eyeing me with a look of disappointment.

"Oh, I'm plenty confident. Confident that I'll lose that is." I told her with a smirk while frantically thinking of a way to change the subject that doesn't involve me being buried five feet underground via Amazon suplex. "If I may ask, you two are looking for a Familia to join right?" I questioned, thinking back to what I've heard the girl with long hair said earlier.

"Yep/ Yes." The two replied in sync as they nodded.

"Then why are you two using such a roundabout way to find one? Can't you just join the one you find suits you?"

The one with long hair rolled her eyes. "It's because we don't want to join just any Familia, we want to join one that earned our respect." She told me as though it's the most obvious thing in the world. Well sorry lady, it's not like I can read minds. "It'd be great if they are interesting and fun as well but we'll take what we can get so long as they prove themselves worthy." I resist rolling my eyes at the cliché reason that they have because I don't want to get hurt for being rude. Amazons and their battle boners.

I let out a thoughtful hum as an idea started to form in my mind, a very interesting idea. "Weeeeell," I drawled. "If you're looking for a strong and interesting Familia, you can always try Loki's Familia." I suggested while keeping a smirk from appearing from my face. "They're currently the top 2 ranking Familia in Orario and frequently go on expeditions into the Dungeon."

"Really?" The one with long hair asked, a bit of interest leaking into her voice.

"Yep. From what I've seen and heard about them, they are the most interesting bunch you'll ever find in this place and is always looking for new challenges to overcome. Loki-sama seem to accept everyone who comes her way so it's a pretty big and diverse group that you'll be joining. Lots of interesting people there, not to mention strong ones too. Their captain and vice-caption are both level 6's and they have a handful of level 3s in their midst." I informed them, hoping that they would give Loki's Familia a shot. It's definitely not because they're absolutely guarantee to lose against them and I want to see them knock around a bit. Nope, no siree.

Anyway, that place would be good for them if an exciting life is what they're looking for. Loki may have a reputation of being a perverted old man but she actually cares for her children and is actually one of the few deities that I don't dislike, unlike many of the other deities that I know of who treats people as tools or toys.

Deities. They never change.

I could tell them about Freya's Familia instead as they're ranked 1st in Orario but I don't really like the Goddess there despite having never seen her before. Not sure why but something about her Familia just rubs me the wrong way.

The girl with long hair nodded with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Alright, it does sound interesting. If they're as you say then I suppose we'll go see them for ourselves. Mind directing us to where they are?"

"Most certainly." I replied with a grin and started rattling off the directions that they would need to take in order to reach the Twilight Manor.

The girls thanked me and started making their way there. Just as they were leaving, I remembered something important and call out to them before they got too far. "Oh hey! If you do see their pet dog, do give it head pats and tell him he's a good boy for me yeah? I haven't been able to visit him lately so he must've been lonely while I was gone. He's easily recognizable by his gray hair and bad attitude." I shouted.

I can tell that they're obviously confused by my sudden request but agreed to do so nonetheless. I watched them go, thinking that this will be the last I will see of them.

With that dealt with, I began my trek home. Since it's still rather early, I'm thinking that I'll put in some time to properly maintain my equipment for once least they break down again in the worst time possible and replenish my smoke bombs- Wait, wasn't there a sales going on in the market today?

**-0-**

**Orario- Blue Pharmacy**

**-0-**

"I'm home." I called out tiredly as I push open the door to the medicine shop that I've been living in for the past 14 years.

After a grueling battle with crazy housewives and occasional grandmas, I managed to buy enough supplies that will last us for a while so I wouldn't have to worry about us running out of food for the time being.

It was a battle of epic proportions; things were flying everywhere while people charged into the melee, using whatever means they could to reign supreme in a death match that challenges one's mettle and wits. Old ladies were performing amazing feats of acrobatics and flying everywhere, housewives were using toddlers as makeshift shields and their shopping bags as weapons and one guy got a leek stuck up his ass for trying to clam them down.

Truly, it's an epic that will be recorded down in the annuls of history where our descendants will read about in awe.

"Welcome back, Nii-san." Came the warm greeting from behind the counter of the shop. I look towards the source and saw a little girl a year younger than me sitting behind it with a small smile on her face. From seeing such a small shift in her expression alone, I can tell that she's obviously relief to see me back safe and sound as she's one to rarely show much emotion on her face.

That, my friends, is the girl that I came to think of as my little sister during my life in this world, Naaza Erisuis.

If any of you weebs have any lewd thoughts about her, I swear by Apollo's limp dick that I will find a way to cross over to your side and kill you…. Then I'll steal your computers or console because damn do I miss video games.

Naaza here is a Chienthrope, one of the many races that exist in this world, meaning that she has dog ears and tail. She used to have very long hair but it's much shorter now due to reasons and purple eyes. She's wearing a shirt that has it's sleeve longer on it's right side while the other is short. It may look like she's wearing a silver gauntlet on her right hand right now but in actuality, she's not. Her entire right arm is a prosthetic silver arm that she can move around just like a regular arm.

Best part is, it also grows alongside it's owner. If you ask for how that works than I'll answer with 'Magic!' because I don't freaking know. As for why her arm is like that, well...it's a sensitive topic, fresh too for the both of us so maybe I'll explain it next time?

"How's business today?" I ask her as I enter the shop and close the door, adjusting the bags of groceries in my arm so that the contents doesn't spill.

"The usual." She replied in her usual soft spoken manner and I nodded. Usual meant absolutely not a fucking customer. Being someone close to her, I can tell that she's rather upset by it judging by how her ears just drooped.

Noticing that she's in low spirits, I went to cheer her up. I put the bag down and move behind the counter so I could ruffle her head. "Don't worry about it, someone would come in eventually. Even if no one did we'll still be able to get by with the money I've earned by adventuring." I told her as I continued to make a mess of her hair.

Naaza seem to frown at the mention of my current profession but didn't say anything about it. Instead, she tilt her head to look at me and gave me a small glare that has no heat in it. "I told you to stop doing this."

"So you say, but yet you're wagging your tail like you're enjoying it." I replied. Smugly of course.

"N-no I'm not." She tires to deny it, eyes darting away from mine and using her hands to keep her traitorous tail in check. Fufufu, don't you know that the more you deny it the more obvious it is to me?

It was then did the door swings open and in comes a dude that looks like he has a permanent scowl on his face.

"Oh." I let out as I stop rubbing Naaza's head so I could address him properly. "Well, if it isn't the perpetually angry mutt. What brings you here today Bete-kun?"

That guy there is Bete Loga, a level 3 from Loki's Familia that's well known for his rough personality. He's a werewolf so the ears and tails of a wolf's is a given. Bete has gray colored hair along with amber eyes and the first thing one would notice about him when you're speaking with him face to face is that he has a blue tattoo on the left side of his face that looks like a lightning bolt.

He's currently wearing a gray furred jacket that's currently open with no undershirt underneath, along with black trousers and boots. I'm also not sure why he's even wearing a jacket in the first place if he's going to be showing off his entire chest to everyone like a flasher. Who knows, maybe it's a werewolf thing.

"Tsk. I'm here to buy potions obviously. Why else would I enter a shop specialized in them?" He replied as he walk towards the counter.

"I see. Oh, by the way, did you guys receive the gift that I sent your way?" I asked him, placing both my hands on the counter as I lean forward with a smirk on my face. Bete's eyes twitched and his scowl seem to deepen, giving me all the answer that I needed.

"What gift?" Naaza question with a puzzled look as she look between us.

"Just something I found on the way back and decide to sent over to Loki's Familia. So, how are they?" I told Naaza before turning back to Bete.

"They're a pain in the ass. You sure have a lot of guts to sent something so troublesome to my home." Came Bete's irate answer.

"Really? They seem like good people to me."

"The entire courtyard got destroyed during their spar." Bete's ear twitched at the reminder he gave himself, most likely thinking about the cost it would take to repair all the damage.

"At least they're strong right?" I tried again and the werewolf sighed, shoulders slacking slightly.

"Yeah. Can't deny that." He muttered.

"Neat. Did you get to fight them?" I asked in curiosity, wondering how well they did against him.

Bete shook his head, looking disappointed. "No, Finn and Gareth were the ones that took them down. I didn't even get to see the fight because it was already over when I got there."

I nodded with a slight frown on my face, disappointed that I wouldn't be able to get first hand account of the fight. What a shame. "I'm guessing that they're part of your Familia now right?"

"Yes." Bete answered testily. "Loki-sama was more than happy to add two scantily clad girls into our ranks." I smiled and nodded to myself. Yep, that's Loki alright.

"You seemed rather annoyed Bete-kun, is something wrong?" I asked him, trying to sound concern but failing as I have an idea as to why he's so worked up already.

"Apparently, someone told the Amazons that Loki's Familia has a pet dog and ask them to give him head pats when they see him so he wouldn't be lonely. Something that Tiona is more than happy to do after she finally realized that you were referring to me after asking around for our pet dog that doesn't exist." He growled at me and I grinned widely.

"So one of them actually did it? Wow, who would've thought." I stated in genuine surprise. I thought they would forget about it by the time they reached the manor. "By the way, who's Tiona?"

Bete paused for a moment, looking like he's trying to recall the image of the one we're talking about. "Short hair and looks like a sack of bones."

"Ah." I let out in understanding, finally able to put a name to the face that I've met earlier. "What about the other one?"

"Tione."

"Now that's just lazy writing." I muttered to myself.

Now, one may wander just how I am able to converse with someone of such high social status despite being nothing more than a lowly level 1 and is able to dash out jibes without getting my face pound in; well here's the exposition for you curious viewers and I'll keep it short as always.

It all started out many years ago where we bump into each other by chance. I was 9 and he was 12 and just arrived in Orario all lost and clueless and he's all angst and angry from having his entire clan wiped out by monsters. He didn't like the way I looked and I didn't like the way he smells so we fought (verbally) until he I managed to convinced that being all angst isn't going to help with his situation.

That got him out of his funk and he started doing something about his situation, mainly finding ways to get stronger so a tragedy like that doesn't happen to him again. I helped by looking for a Familia for him to join as well as providing some basic necessities which I have to force onto him because of his stubbornness. We remain in contact afterwards and hang out from time to time just to trade barbed words with one another.

It all worked out great for him...until he did a Sasuke last year after becoming a level 3 and went to kill the monster that destroyed his clan. He came back after successfully completing his mission only to find that his Familia got shot to hell in the Dungeon when he was gone and had left Orario. I was the one who had to break the news to him.

He disappeared after that and I had to look all over for him, fearing that he might commit sudoku-I mean seppuku, and eventually found out that he got into some trouble in a pub and ended up joining Loki's Familia the next morning for my effort. I punched him in the face for worrying me when I saw him again and that did almost no damage at all. My hand was the one that got hurt instead. Damn him and his ridiculous resilience against my attacks. How am I suppose to show that I cared if I can't hurt him with my punches? That's like, the only few ways us guys use to show affection to one another.

We still kept in contact afterwards just so we could snub at each other like always and I'd like to think that we're friends at best or frenemies at worst. Still, it's good to see that he's a lot better now.

"Putting all that aside, what can I get for you today Bete-kun?"

"One small bag of the lowest quality potions you've got." Bete told me, straight to the point as always.

I nodded and turn around to get what he requested. Naaza is keeping quiet the entire time during our pleasantries mostly because Bete scares her even if I had told her plenty of time before that he's a big softly deep down in his heart. Shielded by multiple defensive layers of pain, remorse and his self-hate of his own weakness of course. Sign, nothing's ever simple with Adventurers.

I got the potions and place them all in a potion bag that could hold a total of 10 before placing them on the counter. "Here you go, that would be 10000 Valis total." I informed him with a grin.

Bete's eyes narrowed when I mentioned the obviously ripoff price but he just let out an affirmative grunt and place the money on the counter before taking the bag and started walking away.

"Don't let the door hit your ass on your way out mutt!" I shouted to him as he left through the door.

"Don't slam your dick on the toilet seat when you're taking a piss, twat!" He shot back and close the door while I just laughed. Ah, good old Bete.

With Bete gone, Naaza finally spoke up. "Why do you two keep insulting each other like that?" Her extremely puzzled expression told me that she had been wanting to ask that particular question for a while now.

"It's just how we guys show affection to one another." I simply replied with a smile.

She stared at me with those stoic eyes of hers, searching my expression for any sign of deceit. After finding none, she simply sighed in defeat. "Boys are weird." She concluded and I just let out another laugh. "Still, I just don't get it."

"What don't you get?" I asked while rising a curious eyebrow.

"Why does Loga-san keeps coming over to buy low quality potions from us? Someone of his caliber shouldn't have any need for them and he didn't question the ridiculous price you were charging him. Only a fool would think that 10000 Valis is normal for 10 low quality potions."

I let out a thoughtful hum as I scratch my chin, thinking about the best way to explain this situation to her. Knowing how Bete is like, I figured that the best way to do this is to go over a scenario that has probably already happened while I was away. "Well….judging by what you've said, Bete-kun has came to our shop before while I was away, yes?"

Naaza looked puzzled at my question but replied nevertheless. "Yes."

"I'm assuming that he bought the same thing as he did today right?"

Naaza nodded again.

"How did you charge him then? Normal or overcharged?"

"The normal price of course. We're running a business here you know."

I smiled at her answer because I can easily predict what Bete would do afterwards. "And I'm guessing that he payed way more than he needs to and told you to keep the change, adding in some kind of snide comment about not being able to return them right?"

Naaza's eyes widen slightly at my words. "How did you know?" She asked, looking a bit astonished at my ability to tell what had transpired with so little information.

Feeling rather proud that I got it right, I began explaining to Naaza the secret of understanding how Bete ticks and started assuming a lecture pose. It has me standing straight with my hand on my elbow and a finger waving in the air. "You see, that's just how Bate-kun is. News about our Familia's situation has probably spread to all of Orario by now so it wouldn't be weird that Bete-kun has heard about it. Being such a nice friend that he is, he probably thought about helping us but didn't know how. He wouldn't just come up and give us some money because it would be awkward for him due to his personality so he went with the next best think he could think of. In other words, he does so by buying things from us and paying us way more than what the items costs and refuse any change."

"I already realized just what his game is the moment he asked for the potions so by charging him by that amount, I also effectively told him that I know what he's up to and set a limit to how much he can give us as donation. It wouldn't do if he keeps giving us too much money after all. He's a level 3 and he needs the money to keep himself and his gear maintained." I told my little sister and she just stares blankly at me. "He knows that I knows that he knows that I'm onto him but didn't say anything because he just wants to save face. He's too proud to say it by he actually does care. Besides, it's not like the potions are going to waste; they'll most likely be passed out to their low level Familia members during training or something." I concluded my explanation with a nod and let my hands down.

After hearing what I have to say, Naaza just kneaded her temples like she's having trouble grasping how the being known as Bete works. "Why does he have to be so complicated? Can't he just be honest and tell us he's giving us money to help us?" She complained with a bit of annoyance in her voice.

I just chuckled at her reaction. "He wouldn't be Bate otherwise. That's how he is, a typical tsundere." 80% tsun, 20% dere to be exact.

Naaza quirked a lone eyebrow slightly. "What's a tsundere?"

"Well, my young pupil, a tsundere is someone who is shown to be cold and doesn't care about other people but deep down, they're just someone who has trouble showing how they really feel and actually cares a lot. That's what Bete-kun is, a tsundere. While you, on the other hand, can be considered as a Kuudere."

"A what?"

"A Kuudere. Cold, blunt or cynical on the outside but warm and caring on the inside, just like I know you are." I began cooing as I started scratching the bottom of her chin like how one would with a puppy.

"Stop that." She whined in protest but I noticed that she's not really doing anything to stop me and despite having a cool and calm facade, her tail was wagging frantically at being caress by me.

"Your lips says no but your body seems to be saying yes." I let out an evil laugh. _Man, that sounded so wrong __when I said it out loud. _I thought to myself as I added an extra attack by patting her head as well.

I felt her ears twitched when my hand landed on her head before her entire body relaxes as I started stroking her head. I could feel Naaza basically melting into a puddle in my hands as she looked lost to the world with an expression of absolute bliss on her face.

Best. Stress reliever. Ever.

"Glad to see you two are getting along as always." Someone said as they entered the shop.

"Oh! Welcome back Miach-sama!" I greeted him with a grin as I let go of Naaza. With my hands gone, she finally snapped out of her stupor and realized that our God has return.

"M-Miach-sama!?" She yelped, face burning red with embarrassment from being seen in such a state.

"I'm home." Miach replied with a warm smile on his face. If you couldn't tell by the name of my Familia, this guy here is my God. He has long dark blue hair and dark blue eyes and he usually wears a black robe with a tan brown stole that reaches down past his shoulders, and brown shoes. He's also criminally beautiful to the point that I'd often wonder if I'd have to fend off a horde of horny ladies one day to keep Miach's purity safe.

"So where've you been Miach-sama?" I asked him. Probably off unintentionally seducing girls again with that beautiful face and caring personality of his no doubt. Chicks just digs that.

Miach let out a tired sigh that made me wonder what could've gotten him so down. "Well, I remembered that there was a sales today in the market so I went out as quickly as I could before things were all sold out. But when I got there, I was already too late and everything was already gone." He told me in obvious disappointment.

"Oh, I've already went there and bought what I could so don't worry about it." I Informed him and pointed to the bags on the counter.

"You have?" He asked before seeing the bags and a small smile broke out across his features. "I see. Thank you for doing so Cain-kun."

"Since you're back, I guess I'll take a shower first before working on dinner." I said as I took the bags from the counter and walk towards the kitchen in the back. I've always been working as a cook for this Familia since I was young and that hasn't change even after I became an Adventurer. I started out my day by cooking breakfast and lunch and I always made sure to come home before dark so I could cook for Dinner them. It's my favorite hobby as it lets me do things while letting my mind wonder and relax, and watching people enjoy what I've made always makes me happy too.

"Do you want me to-" Miach began speaking but was cut off.

"Nope! Just sit down and relax while I work Miach-san." I answered him quickly. Was I being disrespectful? Yes, probably. But Miach was about to suggest helping me in the kitchen and I can't have that. The kitchen is my sanctuary, my personal happy place and experimentation area for new dishes. If Gods have can dominion over things and places then the kitchen is mine and I will protect it till my dying breath. Trespassers will be dealt with via leeks being shoved into their anuses.

"You too Naaza-chan." I said as I saw her wanting to get up and offer her help as well. "The ban is still in place remember." I reminded her and her ears flatten against her head with a small pout on her face.

"It was just one time." She muttered softly in discontent.

"Yes, I know. But you have a tendency to mix whatever you want just to see what would happen. Useful trait for potion making but absolutely horrible when it comes to cooking. So unless you learn to control yourself young lady, you're not stepping into the kitchen." I told her as I walked away, doing my best not to let her pitiful whines affect me resolve.

**-0-**

Dinner went by normally, it was a routine as it could get to be honest. We ate and talk about our day, chatting about nonsensical topics to pass the time. It used to be many of us but now it's just us three; it's quieter than before but I don't mind.

Then we went and did out own things, Naaza went to make more potions to replenish the ones we've sold today and Miach is watching over her so she doesn't make any mistakes. I, on the other hand, went to make more smoke bombs and turning my broken sword into a dagger by filing it down the jagged tip with a whetstone until it became a single point.

Afterwards came the routine that I do every night; updating my status.

"Yo, Miach-sama. I've come to get my status updated." I said as I opened the door to my God's room. It was already dark and the only source of light in the room were the magic lamps in the room.

"Cain-kun. How many times have I told you to knock before entering." My God admonish me like a disappointed parent would but directed me to take a seat nonetheless. It looks like he was expecting me already and have prepared the things necessary for my update.

I sat down on one of the only two chairs in the room and took off my shirt. Miach took a seat behind me and I heard the familiar clicking sound of a small box being opened. I watch over my shoulder as Miach took out a small needle from the box and prick his finger with it. I turn back around and felt his blood dropping on my back before the usual glowing began. I could feel his finger touching my back as he began working on my Falna.

As someone who has received a blessing from a deity called Falna, I can become stronger than any average humans in the way of video game like stats. There are 5 basic abilities that can be increased with this blessing and they are very typical in any RPG games; Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Agility, and Magic.

It's very self explanatory. These stats can be increased further with excellia. The more excellia, or exp as I'd like to call it, that I earned while diving in the Dungeon, the more my stats will be increased.

Now, Dungeon diving isn't the only way one can gain exp, you can gain them from everyday life too. Be it running around, doing manual labor or even playing, you'll still get exp from doing all those things. But the amount you can earn by doing those is almost nonexistent so the Dungeon is always the main location to gain exp for Adventurers. The only exceptions where one can gain large amount of exp while outside of the Dungeon is fighting against monsters from the surface and other Adventurers. To my knowledge at least. There could be more but I sure as hell don't know about them.

"Did something happened in the Dungeon today Cain-kun?" Micah suddenly asked as he continued to move his finger around on my back.

I tried really hard not to flinch before addressing him. "Whatever do you mean Miach-san? Nothing happened today." I replied in a nonchalant manner.

"Oh? Then explain how you managed to buy the groceries today?"

"I went over there and bought them obviously." I replied, trying my best to remain inconspicuous.

"But Cain-kun, if you returned from the Dungeon by your usual time then you wouldn't have made it to the market sale before everything is gone. Since you did so, that meant you returned from your trip early. I know you well enough to know that you would never do something like that unless something has happened. So don't try and lie your way out of this one young man, tell me what happen and don't leave anything out."

I winched at his words, feeling rather dumb that I thought I brush aside what happened today without anyone knowing. "I really can't hide anything from you now can I?" I said as I look over my shoulder at him. Miach most likely suspected something after I told him about my shopping trip but he waited until we're alone so he would question me without Naaza knowing. Smart move on his part. Naaza would've exploded with worry if she had known.

Miach has a small smile on his face that looked almost sad in my eyes. "We deities have a lot of experience in reading people Cain-kun. We have lived a very long time after all."

I just heave out a sigh, knowing that I can't get away from this and face forward, not daring to see my God's expression as I told him about the mistake that I've committed today.

As I recount my tale, I felt his finger stopped moving at the part where I got myself trapped at a dead end before moving again moments after I told him how I managed to get away.

After I finished, Miach let out a sigh of his own. "Cain-kun, I know what I want to tell you will be pointless since you most likely already took the mistake you've made to heart. But please, do be more careful. If something happened to you as well…." He trailed off as his eyes seem to lose some of it's usual luster as he seem to be thinking of memories of the past.

"Hey! I know that!" I quickly said something before he got too deep into his memories. The downfall of our Familia is still a very recent thing and my God is the one affected by it the most. Losing some of his children in the Dungeon, incurring a large debt and watching most of his children leave soon after; what Miach had experience would make anyone mortal man fall into a downward spiral of depression.

But yet he didn't, he continued to stay strong and with a smile on his face, just for us. He kept trying despite the state our Familia is in, working harder than he ever has before to provide for us and is actually hopeful that we could recover from this. He's a strong man and I respect that; that's why I'm doing this, fighting everyday and risking my life just so we could recover what we've lost just a bit faster.

"I'll be more careful, I promise. I'll get so strong that you won't ever have to worry about me getting hurt in the Dungeon ever again." I told him confidently with a smile.

I don't know what's going on in his head but I seem to succeed in bringing him back to the present if the smile he return to me was anything to go by. Miach nodded and remove his finger from my back, signifying that he's done updating my status.

I got up from the chair and pick up the shirt that I had dropped to the ground. When I got straightened myself, I just so happen to be facing the mirror that Miach has in his room and I saw my own reflection in it.

With my shirt off, I looked like a scrawny child, something that I'm hoping to change in the future. There is already some noticeable development in my muscle mass, most particularly in the legs and arms. I looked up to see my own face and a pair of black iris met with mine and short, black hair sway gently in the air as I moved to put on my shirt.

They say that I've inherit my mother's looks and I can agree with them. She's from the Far East, some place where black hair and eyes were the most dominant trait there. My name on the other hand, is a mixture of western and eastern names because my parents had trouble naming me. My father is from Orario and he wanted dips on naming me, but sadly for him, so did mum. They argued about it but eventually reached a compromise by mixing the names that they have in mind. Cain is from my father and Musashi from my mother as it's her family name.

While I was examining my looks, Miach was busy writing down my status on a piece of paper. The reason for doing so is because the Falna on my back is written in the language of the Gods and I have no way of understanding them. Oh, and also because it's hard to read the thing on one's back.

"Here you go Cain-kun." Miach said as he handed me the paper. I took it from him and quickly read what was written.

**Cain Musashi**

Lv. 1

Strength: H 150 → H 158

Endurance: I 80

Dexterity: H 189 → H 195

Agility: G 205 → G 215

Magic: I 0

Magic

[ ]

Skill

**Stealth**

[One with the shadows]

Makes one harder to detect

Effects increases when hidden in the shadows

Effects increases with one's experience

Let's see here, my stats didn't increase much but that's to be expected with how little I did today besides running for hours on end. I try my best to keep things balanced but with your life on the line, it's rather hard to do so.

I really need to catch up on lost time tomorrow and grind my stats but I need to be more careful at the same time as well. Sheesh, I wish I had some overpowered ability that would let me plow through enemies with ease like our main protagonist does. That way I don't have to keep worrying about possibly dying on accident.

Oh that's right, I forgot to mention that I actually have a skill.

It is said that discovering a skill is rare occurrence but I call BS on that. If I recall correctly, all the main casts has a skill or two in their disposal. Besides my skill is not that much of a big deal anyway. Stealth is a very easy skill to acquire. In fact, it's the most common skill out there for thieves and cutthroats. From what I've heard, in order to acquire it, one just has to spent a lot of time sneaking around and pray to RNGesus that it'll appear one day.

For me, it showed up when I got my Falna updated for the first time, which was 3 months ago for when I wanted to start going into the dungeon to earn money. Previously, there was never really a need to update my status as I wasn't doing much other than goof around like a brat that I am but when I set my goals to fighting monsters so we could afford living comfortably, I knew that I needed the boost in my status to help me through.

Miach theorized that I may have gotten it due to how sneaky I used to be back when I was younger. I've already been trained in the art of stealth in my previous life for assassination and espionage missions during WW3 so I have all this knowledge regarding stealth in the back of my head and no way to utilize it here. And so, I've made it my personal mission to sneak around and scare the other members of my Familia for shit and giggles. Their cries of shock and terror always do make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I am smart enough not to do that to those who would enter the dungeon to collect materials of course. Their first instinct would no doubt be attacking the source of their scare and I prefer living thank you very much.

"Thanks a lot for the update Miach-sama. I'll be heading off to bed now so good night." I told him as I kept the paper to burn later. It wouldn't do if someone got their hands on it after all.

"Good night, Cain-kun. Sweet dreams."

**-0-**

I was awoken from my slumber when I heard the door to my room creek open. I didn't move an inch nor did I open my eyes to show that I was alerted to the intruder's presence. My instincts from the war came flooding through my body and it automatically readys itself to attack anyone that could be coming to end my life. I was ready to fight, the moment the intruder came within a few meters to slid my throat, I would reach for my knife I have strapped on me and strike first-

My brain finally caught up from it's restful state and is in full alert. I remembered that I'm no longer in that hellhole, I'm in the Blue Pharmacy, my home, somewhere where I'm safe. I force my body to relax and kept my ear out to hear whoever just entered my room. There's only two other people here so it really isn't that hard to guess who had entered.

She has done this many times before after what happened to her in the Dungeon after all. I peek open a lone eye and confirmed that it is indeed who I thought it is and I close it again.

I kept myself still, breathing evenly as I hear Naaza's attempt at being sneaky as she move towards me.

I could feel her climbing onto my bed slowly and steadily. Once she's on, she lay down and place her head against my shoulder, trying to make herself comfortable as much as she could without disturbing me. I could feel her breath against my skin and the heaving of her chest as she tried to go back to sleep but the shaking of her body told me that she's having trouble in that regard.

"Nightmares again?" I suddenly spoke up without opening my eyes and I could feel the girl went stiff.

Naaza has been suffering constant bouts of nightmares after the incident. I would normally find her crying in her bed at night and will always try my best to comfort her. It makes my heart wrench whenever I saw her in that state and a feeling of uselessness assaults me when I realized that I can't do anything about it at all. There was nothing that I could do to make the nightmares go away and when morning comes around, she would look like a shambling corpse.

I found that being by her side usually helps so I did so as often as I could, sitting by her bedside and talking to her until she falls asleep. This went on everyday and eventually, I find her climbing onto my bed to sleep with me like what she's doing right now. The nightmares were especially bad during the first few days but gradually lessen in intensity. Now though, she managed to go four days without having one so it's an improvement.

After a moment of asking my question, she eventually nodded.

There was silence for a moment as I ponder on what to do. "Do you want me to sing a lullaby like last time?" I asked her.

Another pause, another nod.

I wrap my arm around her and pull her close, she didn't resist and lean her body against me more. I took a deep breath and began humming a melody. I began humming the lullaby that my mother used to put me to sleep with my past life as it's the only one that I know by heart. 'Wanderer's Lullaby'. Just listening to it always calms me down so I hope it would have the same effect for Naaza.

Eventually, the little girl fell asleep and I stopped. I carefully sat up and adjust her position so that she'll be sleeping in a proper position. I watch over her as she slept and realized that she had been crying again before coming over to my room as I noticed the dried tears at the edge of her eyes.

I move my hand onto her head and began stroking it. Naaza shifted a bit in her sleep but remained asleep. Many thoughts were going through my mind at the moment but the most prominent one that kept making it's way to the forefront of my mind is the one telling me to keep this little one safe and secure. The little girl that I've come to view and love as my own little sister. The only way I can do that is to provide her with a better life where she doesn't have to worry about anything and live as a normal girl.

The best way to do that is to get stronger so I can earn money faster.

Being an Adventurer, it's a dangerous life where one could die from a single mistake. Who knows when I'll die in the Dungeon, could be tomorrow, or years later but it'll happen the moment I let my guard down and become careless. The Dungeon is said to be a living entity that hates all living beings and will do everything in it's power to eradicate us like insects. I don't disagree with that notion. But the money one could earn just from simply killing monsters in the dungeon often outweigh the risks.

With that money, I could help Miach pay off his debt, allow Naaza to live more comfortably. They'll be able to live out their lives unburdened and free.

And for that reason alone, I'll keep on fighting. I'll keep on staining these hands with blood and gore as I crawl upon another mountain of corpses. I'll survive whatever it is that the Dungeon will throw my way and I'll come back home to my Familia at the end of the day, alive and smiling.

For their sake, there can be no other outcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Here's chapter 2. Please enjoy and tell me what you think. Opinions are welcomed, in fact, they're very much needed as I won't know if I'm doing something wrong unless someone points it out for me.**

**-0-**

I find that exploring the Dungeon can be pretty interesting despite the fact that it's a literal death trap. There are plenty of things to see and take note of if you actually took the time to survey your surroundings while you're in there.

Sure, the upper floors of the Dungeon has been explored countless times by other Adventurers who came before to the point where every area has already been scouted but I don't really care. I enjoy going to every corner, checking every dead ends and more or less just take my time as I kill monsters and grind my stats.

It's a habit that still I have from my gaming years. If you enter a new area, the most logical thing to do is look everywhere for loots or hidden areas. I'm well aware that this isn't a game and treasure chests don't exist here but it's hard to change what's been deeply ingrained into my psychic. I find myself constantly looking out for anything of note and exploring everywhere without realizing it.

Besides, just because the upper floors had been thoroughly explored it doesn't mean that it doesn't have any more surprises left for people to find.

Take for example: this dead Adventurer right in front of me.

I pull my dagger out of the head of the Goblin had been busy munching on the entrails of the dead Adventurer and it's body went slack before it fell to the floor.

I frowned as I look at my blood stained dagger and swipe it in the air to get rid of the blood before examining it again more closely. _Yep, those are __hairline__ fractures on the blade alright._ After months of fighting with it, it's finally showing it's limit after miraculously holding on for so long. Then again, it might be because I kept bashing my dagger against the hard exoskeleton of those Killer Ants. Not my best idea but it did the job at least.

The Goblins and Kobolds here are stronger than the ones up above too, and I noticed that their flesh are a bit harder to pierce through. I shouldn't underestimate the monsters on the 8th Floor even if they do look like their counterparts on the earlier floors. I'll need a better weapon and soon. Preferably before my dagger breaks and leaving me stranded with no way of defending myself.

I use the dagger to dig out the magic stone of the Goblin before I went to examine the dead Adventurer, ignoring how the Goblin dissipate into a black mist to be reabsorb back into the Dungeon.

My eyes scan over Adventurer in order to find any clues as to how this person died.

_Young, female, most likely a teenager. __Blood is still trickling slightly at the stump of __what used to be her__ left leg._ I touch the corpse's exposed skin and felt a bit of warmth still present in it's cooling body. _Freshly killed too, can't be __more__ than __20__ minutes since she __died__._ _Just a bit too late to save the day huh? _I thought to myself with a small frown before going back to investigating.

I noted that her equipment consist of armor pieces that could be strapped on parts of her body and a sword of normal quality. No helmet of any kind could be found so I assume that she doesn't have any.

Judging by how her face is indented with it's eyeball popping out, the most likely cause of death is blunt force trauma to the face. She wasn't wearing any gloves so I could see that her hands were bloody with missing nails.

The body is mostly whole save it's left leg being severed and guts being out in the open and there's a very short blood trail leading to where she is. The area where the blood started has many shadows and places for things to hide in so it's possible that she was ambushed there. No, I'm certain that she was ambushed there.

There were only three Goblins present, the first was at the area I've just mentioned, eating a severed leg. The second and third were eating the body together and I had lured one away by throwing stones to make noises. Once separated, I killed that one before moving in to kill the last one.

I took a look around the area that I'm in and scratch the back of my head in confusion._This is an area far from where the main path is; __so the question is, why is she here?_ I wondered as I let my hand down and sighed. Well, there is a lot of reasons that I could think of such as wanting to go on an adventure or hunting down monsters but the why in this situation doesn't really matter now that she's dead.

Alright, putting together what I know: This Adventurer went off path for reasons of her own and without any friends to watch her back. Then she ended up being caught in an ambush that ended with her leg being cut off. She tried to crawl away as hard as she could, causing her hands to bleed and nails to come off but her efforts were for naught and one of the Goblin smash a club onto her face, ending her life. This is the most plausible scenario that I could think of right now.

Pity. Another foolhardy Adventurer had met their end in the bowels of the Dungeon.

I stumbled upon this by complete accident to be honest but I suppose I'll have to put my exploration on hold for now. I need to deal with this corpse first before I can continue. I'm the one that found it so the responsibility of catering to the fallen falls upon me.

There are proper procedures that one must adhere to when finding a dead body in the Dungeon. You loot it.

I mean, she's not going to use all that gear anymore now is she?

No wait, that's my gamer instincts talking again. Shoo, go away gamer instincts. I'm not going to loot this young girl's corpse even if it's as tempting as you're making it sound. _Although that sword does look rather __nice_\- NO! Begone foul thoughts! Ye shalt not seduce me into disrespecting the fallen today! Have you forgotten that we're trying to be a better person in this life!?

_But you did it last time. _My traitorous mind reminded me in protest.

That guy had money on him! Need I remind you that it's something which we are in desperate need of?

_What's so different this time? She's dead and is obviously not going to use it anymore as well._

It's a she! I'm perfectly fine with looting dead guys but girls is where I draw the line buddy.

_We are a firm believer of gender equality. Besides, look at how shiny it is, you can see your own face on it._

That's tru-No! No and that's final! We are done having this conversation devil on my shoulder. Where's the Angel when you need him anyway?

Ahem, right, back on track. As for the procedures that I've mentioned, if you can bring the dead back to the surface then bring it back to be buried by their Familia. If you can't, find out who that person is and then inform the Guild so they could notify that person's Familia. If you have no way of identifying the body then well shit, that guy is out of luck and will be left in the Dungeon to be consumed. No one will remember them nor will their Familia know of their demise until days later when they realize that they're missing.

However, as a solo Adventurer, I'm not required to return the body and is only expected to take note of it and report it to the Guild later when I get back. I'm just one guy after all; can't really return the body if I can't even protect myself while doing so now can I? I am to collect whatever I can to be used for identification and maybe some items to be returned to that person's Familia.

Well, as it stands, I'm not one to leave the fallen behind because it doesn't sit well with me so it's only natural that I would want to bring this child back to be properly mourned. I don't know why I would even feel this way to be honest. Guilt and pity maybe? I must be getting soft after living such a peaceful life for so long.

Anyway, my agility stat is the highest right now so I'm fairly confident about being able to run all the way to the surface while carrying a body. So long as I don't run into a group of monsters that is.

I took off my bag and set it on the ground. I open it and took out a neatly folded black shroud. The shroud is use to hide the body from being seen and more or less keep it in one piece for easier transport. I started bringing one after the first time I found a body in the Dungeon and I didn't have a shroud with me. Let's just say I may have scared off quite a few newbie Adventurers when I reached the surface.

I spread the shroud open on the ground next to the body and put my bag back on. I stood back up and roll up my sleeves, flexing my fingers as I approach the body. _Okay. First things first, I'll need to put the intestines back in place before I can move it to the shroud. Oh, let's not forget about the leg too. I'll need to collect it later before I can wrap her up._ With that in mind, I set out to work.

Fun fact: This is not the first time I had to put a body back together for burial. Some of my comrades died via grenades before so I know a thing or two about piecing people together.

**-0-**

**Orario- Babel, First Floor**

**-0-**

Death is a part of Orario, no one knows this fact better than the Adventurers themselves. For all their superhuman feats that they could perform, they're still mortals in the end. That's why it's not strange to see no one batting an eye when they saw me carry a corpse out of the Dungeon stairs.

No wait, I spotted some people blenched at the sight of me carrying a bloody shroud in the shape of a person. They must be new. Hope this sight would make them more careful as they enter the Dungeon so they won't end up like this girl here. Some Adventurers even bowed their heads in respect of the dead as I pass by them.

I continue to walk, ignoring some of the looks that I'm gathering from the ones not used to seeing bodies and make my way to the morgue area in the Babel.

Yes, they have morgue to keep dead people until their Familia can come to collect them. I obviously can't take it directly to the guild as civilians would be upset if they saw me carrying a dead person down the street so it's procedure to dump the body there and go report it to the Guild. That is, if you know who the dead person is to begin with. Since I don't, I'll need the help of someone who can identify the dead.

I push open the door to the morgue with my shoulder and I was assaulted with a wave of cold air. I entered it and immediately saw a wide room with multiple operating tables arranged neatly and almost all of them were occupied.

"Oh, it's you again. How many times does this make? Three? Four?" I heard a grumpy voice said and my eyes flicker towards it automatically. There was a dwarf wearing a brown coat and bloody gloves working on one of the body on the tables.

That guy there is the head mortician. His job is to 'pretty up' dead bodies so they are more presentable for burial. He also has the license to read other Adventurer's Falna in order to identify them if they're just too unrecognizable. He'll even report the deceased to the Guild for you as well so all people like me needed to do is to leave the body with him and he'll handle the rest.

Since I have no clue as to who this person is, the only thing I can do is to leave it to him like I've done previously.

"It's not like I want to come here so frequently." I told him with a frown. "It just doesn't sit well with me to leave them behind you know."

The dwarf didn't say anything, merely nodded towards the table that's currently empty. I got his message and move to place the body down on it.

Knowing that he's a busy man and that I shouldn't take too much of his time, I decide to leave quickly so that I won't bother him too much. "Well, good luck with this one and sorry for increasing your workload." I told him as I set the body down as gently as I could. With this done, all that's left is to go back down to the Dungeon and continue from where I left off.

"Hold it right there boy." The dwarf suddenly spoke just as I've turned around to leave. I pause and glance at him with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yeah?" I asked, wondering what's up.

"You're leaving looking like that?" He pointed at me and I look down at myself to see what he's pointing at and saw nothing of note.

"Looking like what?" I asked as I look back up to him.

I could hear the dwarf let out an exasperated sigh before he spoke again. "Your hands boy. At least wash your hands before you leave." I look back down again and saw that my hands were entirely covered in blood.

"Oh, right. Forgot about that." I said sheepishly before heading towards the nearest sink to wash it off. There's a reason why Adventurers practice proper hygiene and clean themselves off before returning to town. It's scares civilians off for starters and draws the wrong kind of attention to oneself. I mean, who the hell runs around in the city while covered in blood? Some lovesick idiot?

The other reason is to prevent the spread of diseases. Adventurers are more resilient to diseases but the same can't be said for the civilians. That's why there's a shower area in the Babel where Adventurers can wash themselves off whatever blood and grim that they covered themselves with in the Dungeon.

As I remove the blood on my hands, I heard the sound of cloth being moved. I close the tap and turn around to find that the mortician had move over to the body that I had brought in and had already opened the shroud for examination.

"I'm surprise that you didn't lose your stomach at the sight of this, boy. This one is definitely worse off than the rest that you've brought in before." He commented as he look over the corpse.

"Eh, you've seen one, you've seen them all" I told him nonchalantly with a wave of my hand. Besides, I've seen people in worse state than that. Alive too. And screaming, let's not forget about that.

The dwarf just look at me like I'm weird and I merely shrugged. He shook his head slightly before asking another question. "Do you want me to inform her Familia that you're the one who found her?"

I shook my head quickly and started walking towards the door. "No thanks. I'm not sure how to respond if they ever come to me and offer their gratitude for finding her."

Just as my hand touched the door, the Dwarf spoke again. "You have a good heart kid. Not many would do what you've been doing."

I pause, a feeling of disgust suddenly came forth from within me, not at him but at myself. A good heart? Me? He couldn't be more wrong if he tried. If anything, this heart of mine has already been corrupted to the core.

I shook the feeling away easily enough and open the door. "That's where you're wrong my friend. I'm just a selfish person who does whatever he wants." I told him while wearing a sardonic smile on my face. "Besides, it's not like I'm doing this for free." I mutter out the last sentence to myself as I left the place, my eyes gazing towards the sword strapped onto my waist.

In the end I still took the sword instead of leaving it with the rightful owner.

I didn't want to take it at first but I encountered some monsters on my way back and I needed something to defend myself with. My dagger is already about to break so I used the Adventurer's sword instead. It's a lot better than the beat up old dagger that I've been using and I found myself reluctant to part with it. The reach is longer and it's more sturdier than my beginner weapon so I don't have to worry about it breaking any time soon so I made the choice to keep it then and there.

Do I feel guilty for doing so? A bit. Do I have any intentions of returning it? Nope. It wasn't even that hard of a choice to make really. It's either I keep using the dagger or use a superior weapon to plow through the Dungeon.

A good heart my ass. In the end, I'm just a selfish bastard that would would stoop to looting corpses just to make my life easier.

_Hows being a better person working out for ya?_

Hush you. I don't need your sass.

At any rate, it looks like it's time for Dagger-kun to retire. Thank you Dagger-kun, you have treated me well thus far. I won't forget all the fun adventures that we had over the course of the six months that we've been together.

I make my way back to the Dungeon with the sword in hand, fulling intending to familiarize myself with it as I continue to explore new areas. Who knows, I just might find something interesting again. Let's just hope it's not another dead body.

**-0-**

**Orario- Blue Pharmacy**

**-0-**

"Owowowowow." I cried out as Naaza apply the medical ointment on my back, rather forcefully too.

I'm currently laying on a mat that had been set out on the floor at the back of the shop with my shirt lift up. As for why Naaza is currently torturin- I mean, treating me, it's because I've made a blunder while I was exploring and paid the price for it. I got too excited with the new sword and decided to challenge an Orc, a monster that only appears a few floors below the one that I'm authorized to go into and got thrown into the wall for my effort.

In my defense, the floor was very foggy and those bastards sure can hide for something so fat. At least I managed to kill quite a bit of Orcs until one decided to pop out from the fog like a ninja and smack me with it's weapon, sending me to a wall like a pinball. I decided to haul ass then and there before more sneaky fat boys appeared. At least I learned not to be too greedy now and best of all, I earned a lot today because of the magic stones from the orcs. They're way bigger than the ones in the 8th floor and I foresee myself going back there again soon but not before being more prepared first.

That reckless venture wasn't all bad as I've learned a few things from that encounter. I know what being hit by a Nature Weapon feels like now for starters. Secondly, while Stealth makes me harder to see, it does nothing to conceal my scent. That's how fat boy found me in the first place as I stood over it's dead brethren covered in it's blood. There's really no excuse for missing that particular fact as I've already noted down that Orcs have keen sense of smell in my notebook. So yeah, I need to be more careful and find a way to hide my scent if I want to keep on being a stealthy Adventurer. Or maybe just not cover myself in blood all the damn time.

"You know, I'll heal a lot faster if you just let me use a potion." I told Naaza as I tried to look at her from my position.

"No using our shop's inventory to fix your own stupid mistakes Nii-san." Came the merciless reply of my little sister. The expression on her face is frigid cold and her usual listless eyes seem to gain some kind of soul piercing ability as she stare at me in displeasure. Naaza-chan, can you please not look at your Nii-san like that? That look hurts more than all the wounds I've ever gained you know. And that's saying a lot considering the fact that I've been hit by a mortar before.

"Are you sure the reason you're not letting me use one is because you're mad that I got hur-OW! Okay, okay. I'll shut up." I wisely stopped myself from any wisecracking when she applied more force on my back with narrowed eyes.

"I must admit, you deserve that one Cain-kun." Miach commented from the front of the shop, likely having heard our conversation from there. I let out a muffled groan in reply and let myself be treated.

I continued to lay restlessly on the floor as Naaza finishes up with her treatment. I saw her putting away the ointment and getting up so that must mean that she's done already so I push myself up and pull my shirt back down. "Naaza-chan is being a big bully." I complained childishly as I puff my cheeks out at her, feeling safer to joke again now that her hands are no longer on my back.

"I feel that Nii-san wouldn't learn his lesson otherwise, so this much should be acceptable as a disciplinary action." Naaza replied stiffly walk towards the nearby table with the ointment in hand. She's upset, I can tell.

"Aww, does this mean I'm going to get punished every time I come back with a little scratch now? Methinks that Naaza-chan is being a bit strict and asks if she can be a bit more lenient. Nii-san will make her favorite herbed chicken for her if she does." I tried getting her to lighten up a bit with my usual goofiness.

Instead of replying or offering a witty retort like I expected, Naaza slam the ointment onto the table, causing me to jolt in surprise as I never expected her to do something like that. She turn around to looked at me with a tight-lipped expression. I was about to say something but the words were stuck in my throat when I saw her eyes. They look like they were barely holding back a torrent of emotions. It was then did I realize that I've fucked up; I don't know just what it is that I've fucked up but I just know that I did.

"Nii-san has been getting hurt a lot recently." She said solemnly to me.

I resist the urge to winched at her tone and failed horribly. "I'll be more careful." I tried to reassure her with a nervous smile.

Rather then being reassured by my words, her expression darkened instead. "You always say that and yet you keep coming home with more injured than before. Before it was only small cuts and scraps that kept increasing in frequency and today your entire back is severely bruised and you'd be suffering from broken ribs if it weren't for the potions that you brought with you into the Dungeon. If you keep this up who knows what kind of injury you'll suffer next!?" She shot back, her voice rising higher as she went on and her hands started clenching into themselves as her small frame started shaking.

"Just stop, Nii-san. Don't keep saying that and then come back with serious wounds and looking like you've almost died. I hate it! I hate seeing you get hurt! I hate it when you joke about it like it's nothing! It doesn't make me feel better at all. Don't you know how worried I get when I see you leave in the morning? I couldn't help but keep thinking that something might happen to you in the Dungeon. What if...what if you didn't come back at all." Her ears drooped as her voice lost her earlier heat. "What am I suppose to do then?" She said, her voice cracking. She look down at her feet after saying her piece and I can see tears were leaking out of her eyes as she sniffled in place.

I didn't do anything, or rather, I couldn't do anything but stand frozen in place.

I...I didn't notice at all. Had all those thoughts been inside her head all this time? Slowly accumulating inside of her right in front of me? I thought that she was just upset because she didn't like the fact that I've become an Adventurer to earn money so I didn't look any deeper than that. I...I'm just too used to being surrounded by people who had already accepted that they or others might die at any given time.

But Naaza isn't one of my comrades from back then, she's is just a little girl who has had her life turned upside down by an accident beyond her control. She had to watch people close to her leave her life after we were settled with a large debt and with only two people left in her life, she would no doubt cling onto them like a lifeline. Like an insensitive idiot that I am, I just have to go and throw my life against the Dungeon days after it had just happened.

I was too busy focusing on my own situation that I neglected to think about how others would feel about my behavior. In fact, it never once cross my mind.

If I did then I would've noticed that she was smoldering in dread back home because of how I keep pushing myself to get stronger so I could go deeper into the Dungeon, not knowing if that day was going to be the last she would see of me.

What am I suppose to do in this situation? What can I do? My mind couldn't think of anything and my body is petrified in place as I watch Naaza struggle not to cry.

I heard the sound of something shifting and my eyes dart to the side. I saw Miach standing at the doorway, making motions with his hands. I saw what he was trying to tell me to do and I nodded. I turn my attention back to Naaza; she look so distressed and fragile that it made my heart twist on itself. I force myself to move and I reduce the distance between us in moments. I stop in front of the girl and I pull her into a hug, wrapping my arms around her gently and securely.

Naaza's body went rigid at my initial touch but she slowly as the seconds tick on. I place my chin on top of her head and I could feel her hands gripping on the front of my shirt as she buried her face into my chest. I didn't say anything as I'm still trying to come up with something to say.

"That's cheating Nii-san…. I can't stay mad at you... when you're like this."

"...I'm sorry. I didn't know that I was causing you pain by being like this. Nii-san is being an idiot, can you ever forgive him?" I said to her, for once actually trying look at my surroundings instead of the narrow path that I had set myself upon.

"If you know you're being an idiot then stop doing it already."

"I will, I promise. I promise to you that I'll do everything I can to come back home alive and well. Maybe not completely unharmed but not to the point where you'll have to worry about my safety ever again." I said seriously as I continue to hold onto her gently.

"You better." I heard her murmur, noticing that she's calmer now.

You know, I wasn't expecting to get all touchy feely today. It really threw me off my rhythm. I will need to go easy while in the Dungeon from now on instead of forcing myself to go further each time. If this is enough to get Naaza to act like that then I dread the day that Misha found out about all the reckless things I did in the Dungeon. She'll probably go into a never ending rant about how foolish I was or worse, she'll stop making me tea! I may be Japanese now but I'm a British man at heart damn it, I need my tea or I'll go into a withdrawal.

Ah shit, I forgot to report to her today too. Maybe I will pay her a visit tomorrow to tell her that I won't be entering the Dungeon for a while so that she doesn't worry about me.

Anyway, how to do I get out of this hug? It's been going on for a while now and it's starting to feel awkward for both of us. Quick, Brain, think of something.

_You still have to make dinner._ Ah yes, excellent idea.

"Well then," I let go of Naaza and pat her on the shoulder comfortingly. "I suppose I should get working on dinner now."

"About that," Miach suddenly spoke up after being quiet throughout the time I was comforting Naaza. "I think we should go out and eat tonight instead of here."

"Eh? How come?" I asked, surprised by Miach's decision not to have Dinner at home.

"You did earn a lot more than usual today so I think we can spare some money and eat out once in a while as a reward."

"Are you saying that you don't like my cooking anymore." I utter out in horror with hands on my cheeks. "Is that why you want to eat somewhere else?" I said, sounding like a woman being cheated by her husband. I'm obviously being dramatic here but I feel that it should clear the awkwardness in the air.

Miach chuckled a bit. "It's nothing of sorts Cain-kun. You're injured and tired right now aren't you? I figure that you'll appreciate it if you can rest and recover for the day." Miach explained.

I thought about it and realized that he's right. My body is still kind of sore and lethargic from the venture into the 10th floor so a bit of rest might do me some good. "Well, not having to think about what kind of dish to make for tonight does sound nice. Alright, I'll just put my stuff away first before we go." I told him before I move to collect my things that I had to take off so Naaza could apply the ointment on my back.

I had to grimace at the sight of my armor as it picked it up. It can't really be called armor anymore. Because of that Orc's attack it's more like a metal pancake now, completely flatten and unusable. It looks like I'll be going unarmored from now on until I can loot another dead guy for his armor. Yeah, I'm not even going to bother pretending to have a moral dilemma about that anymore; it gets old fast.

"By the way Nii-san, where did you get that sword?" Naaza spoke up as I pick up the sword.

"I found it on the ground." I answered her as I showed her the sword in my hand.

"Really?" Her reply sounded skeptical as she examine the weapon.

"Yes, really. I think that someone dropped it while they were running away from monsters in the Dungeon." I lied. "At any rate, I got myself a new sword to replace my old weapon that's about to break. Another man's loss is another man's treasure as they say. Anyway, I'll be back down in a bit so you can start closing up the shop first, I'll help when I'm done."

Naaza nodded and went to the front of the store to begin locking up while I move upstairs to put my things away.

When I got back down, I saw that Miach and Naaza were already done with what they needed to do and were waiting for me. We all left through the back door and started walking with Miach leading the way.

The sun had already set by this point and the stars were out in full view. We stroll down the street illuminated by magic lamps, passing by people who are either returning home from work or heading out to eat dinner like we are.

I suddenly wince a bit as my back let out another flare of pain when my shirt brush against it. I can tell that it's going to be troublesome to deal with constantly and it'll hamper me when the time comes where I have to fight again. "So, Naaza-chan, when can Nii-san get a potion to heal his back? I know that it's punishment and all but Nii-san can't really fight well when his back is hurting like an old man's."

Naaza gave me a flat look. "You're not getting one."

I shot her a baffled stare in return. "But what am I going to do about tomorrow? I won't be in my best condition to go into the Dungeon."

"That's easy, you're not going." Naaza simply stated and I pause in my steps, looking at her in confusion.

"Huh?"

"I've discussed it with Miach-sama while you were upstairs. It's your punishment. Until you're fully healed, you're not allowed to enter the Dungeon." She informed me with her arms crossed, looking absolutely steadfast in her decision and is not going to budge on that matter.

A wave of panic washed over me as I processed that fact. "But what are we going to do about the money then?" If I don't go then we'll be solely dependent on the revenue that the shop earns to meet the quota that I've come with. If it falls behind then we won't be able to pay Dian Cecht this month and still have enough left over for ourselves to save for future uses.

"Not buts Nii-san. It's because you kept worrying about the money like that it drove you to do something so reckless." Naaza rebuked while pointing a finger at me.

"I have to agree with Naaza. Because of that, I won't update your status until you're fully healed either." Miach chimed in right when I was about to protest Naaza's decision. He walked over to me, a sad smile present on his face. "There's no harm if you don't go into the Dungeon everyday Cain." Oh shit. Miach dropped the '-kun' part, he must be really serious.

"In fact, I even encourage you to take breaks more often. The only reason why I didn't say anything until now was because I know my words will just fall on deaf ears. Now that you've gone and done something so outrageous, it's crucial that I start enforcing you to take breaks before you hurt yourself further. So until you're better, I won't allow you to enter the Dungeon or do anything dangerous. No using potions to speed up your recovery as well. I know how long it takes for wounds to heal so don't think I won't figure out that you've slipped some in while we aren't looking." He warned me sternly.

With both of them against me, I know that I've lost and trying further will be pointless. I let out a tired sigh and nodded. "Alright." I muttered as I look down at my feet in dejection.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, causing me to look back up and saw that Miach was in front of me. "I know you think that you have to do everything by yourself Cain and I'll tell you now that it's a horrible mindset to have." Miach flick a finger on my forehead and I flinched back slightly and began rubbing it even though it doesn't even hurt. "You need to believe that we can manage on our own as well. We're not so useless that we can't cover for you if you don't go into the Dungeon for a while. You risk your life for us everyday Cain; I know telling you to stop is pointless but do take a break once in a while alright?"

I frowned at Miach's words. I'm not used to being talk to like that, being asked to trust others that they could handle themselves without me looking after them. I'm more used to thinking that people are inept and needed to be look after because I used to be a leader. You just tend to get used to thinking that every one of your soldiers are incompetent or just plan retarded after a while of leading. I don't really think that my Familia is unreliable per se but habits hard you know. The desire to do everything myself just sort of bleeds over to this life without me knowing. "Alright, alright. I get it. I'll rest until I'm fully healed. You two happy?" I crossed my arms and pouted.

I can see that they two were smiling that I acceded to their punishment.

"Very." Miach nodded. "Well then, let's go shall we?" He turn around and started walking again while Naaza and I followed behind him.

"By the way, where are we going?" I asked once I realized that I have no idea where we'll be eating at.

Miach turn his head over his shoulder and shot me a smile. "Where else but the place we've used to frequent."

**-0-**

**Orario- Hostess Of Fertility**

**-0-**

"Well, well, well, look who finally decided to show up."Mia Grand, owner of the lovely and ever so popular pub called the Hostess of Fertility, called out loudly from behind the bar when we entered the establishment.

Mia is a dwarf. But instead of being short like all dwarf are known for, she's like a huge giant instead. I dunno why, probably genetics, not that I know how genetics work mind you. She has long brown hair tied into a ponytail and brown eyes and wore a purple dress and a white apron.

The pub is pretty packed right now and the air is filled with chattering and laughter of various customers, each coming over to fill their stomachs or to wind down from a stressful day. I can see Adventurers regaling tales of their exploits in the Dungeon that's most likely exaggerated in some way with people listening in awe or amusement. I've also spotted two waitresses moving nimbly through small gaps between tables and customers, carrying trays on both their hands filled with food and drinks.

All in all, the place give off a very rowdy and energizing atmosphere.

"I haven't seen you three in a while. Where have you been? You haven't been going to other restaurants have you?" She asked with a hearty laugh.

"We've simply been busy back at our place, Mia-san." Miach answered while scratching his cheek sheepishly.

"I see." Mia merely nodded and didn't ask any further. Knowing her, she most likely have already heard of what happened to Miach Familia. "Well, don't just stand there, come on in already. I'll even give you guys a discount since it's been a while since I saw you. Hey girls, we've got customers! Get them seated and take their orders already." She shouted to one of the waitress here before turning around to do her job. Yep, she definitely knew of our situation. Mia giving discounts to people is a rare thing and she only gives it to people who were living in trying times just to help them a bit. She's kind in her own unique way.

"Alright Mama Mia nya." I heard a girl's voice answer Mia's call. That's right lads, Mia Grand's nickname is Mama Mia. Very Italian. I guess that's why they have pastas in their menu.

I saw a waitress came over to where we were, wearing the signature maid uniform that belonged to the Hostess of Fertility. It's basically a green version of what Mia is wearing but with a white headband. The waitress has short brown hair and eyes of the same color. She's also a Cat People.

No, I did no mean that in a 'she likes cat to the point where she adds nya to all her sentences' kind of way. I was being quite literal when I said she's a Cat People. She has legit cat ears and tail and the nya is just a verbal tic that her race has. It can be overcome if one puts effort into it but most never did. As far as race names go, Cat People is the most unimaginative one. "Welcome nya, I'll be taking you to- Oh! It's Cainya. You're still alive nya!" The girl exclaimed as she points a finger at me.

"Yes, it is I Cainya." I deadpanned at the nickname she had given me. "How have you been Nyanya? Not causing trouble for others I hope." I asked, using the nickname I have given her.

"Of course not nya. What kind of person do you think I am? Nya should have more faith in your senpai nya know." She replied confidently as she place her hand on her chest and puff them out proudly.

"Oi, Anya. Get them to their seats already." Mia voice rang out from the back and Anya panicked.

"O-okay! Now seating three nya!" Anya announced before leading us to a free table. The girl's full name is Anya Fromel and is 3 years older than me and she's also an airhead. Sadly for me, she's also my senior as an employee of the pub. Not much to say about her skills in the art of serving save for the fact that she keeps messing up and needing me to clean up her mess back in the day.

Yes, that's right. I've worked here before, mostly as a part-timer. I started only a few weeks after this place first opened up in fact, and had been working here until half a year ago.

We all sat down at our table and Anya began taking our order. Miach and Naaza ordered theirs while I was busy thinking of what to get. "So Cainya. What would you like to eat nya?" Anya asked me after taking Miach and Naaza's orders.

"Has May come up with any new dish yet?" I raise a curious eyebrow at the cat girl.

"Is Cainya going to steal our dish again nya? May's going to cry if you keep figuring out all her recipes that she worked so hard on you know." Anya chided me in a playful tone.

"It's not my fault that they're so easy to figure out." I merely shrugged.

Anya rolled her eyes before breaking out a smile. "Alright then nya. One new dish for the recipe thief. Your order will be ready shortly so please wait for a bit nya. Oh, I'll catch up with you later when I have the time Cainya. It's been a while after all and I wanna know what my kohai has been up to lately nya." Anya cheerfully went off to put in our order in the kitchen.

"My, this place is still as rowdy as ever." Miach commented as Anya went into the kitchen.

"It's too loud." Naaza complained, using her hands to press her ears against her forehead.

"Well, I think that they're swamped with all the customers that they're getting. I wonder when Mia is going to hire more waitresses?" I wondered out loud in curiosity.

"Oh! It's Cain-san!" I heard another girl's voice coming from behind me and I my head around to see who it was.

There I saw a waitress who was busy cleaning up a table when she spotted me. The girl is a human who has bluish gray hair that's being tied in a ponytail style with a small knot and her eyes are the same color as her hair.

"Oh hey, Syr-chan! How have you been?" I asked her while waving at her.

"I'm doing well but I do wish we have more hands out on the front though. It's been awfully busy lately and we barely have time to rest." Syr sigh slightly as her hands continued to move plates and mugs onto her tray. By the way, she's a year younger than me and already acts more mature than I do sometimes. "You also haven't been visiting the orphanage lately and the kids there all miss you. It would make all of us happy if you do drop by sometimes." She told me with a coy smile, blinking bashfully at me.

Syr Flova started working at the Hostess of Fertility about 3 years ago and is a very diligent girl that would never fail to use her days off to visit the orphanage that took care of her in order to help them out. She had asked me if I wanted to come along one time and being the guy who's free most of the time back then, I agreed. I don't know how it happened but it suddenly became a routine for us to visit the orphanage once a week. I blame Syr. She must've manipulated me into doing it while making me think that it's what I wanted it all along.

Even though she looks so cute and innocent on the outside, she's basically a witch on the inside. A kind hearted witch but a witch nonetheless. "Yeah, still needs some work there Syr-chan. I can still see that it's a bit forced" I informed her of what I think about her attempt to look cute. But still, if she keeps polishing her acting skills like that, I have no doubt that she would have no trouble playing with hearts of men in the future to get what she wants. I can tell that there are already a few victims of her wily charms here in the pub.

"Ehhh~ And here I thought I've finally gotten it right this time." Syr pouted in dissatisfaction.

"Well, you've been using me as a guinea pig in the past so it's easier for me to spot when you're acting than others. I'm sure other people wouldn't be able to tell if they weren't looking as closely as I have. Also, tell the kids that I'll visit them when I can for me will you? It's not exactly been easy for me to make time you know?"

"I see." She nodded with a thoughtful look as she began to walk away with the tray of dishes in tow. "I'll be sure to tell them that when I head over next time. Oh, before I forget, welcome back Cain-san." She smiled warmly at me and I smiled back.

"Yeah, it's good to be back."

"By the way, May-san has been missing her favorite assistant for quite a while now so I do hope that you're prepared for what's coming. Since Anya was the one who took your order, it won't be long until she blabbed to May-san that you're here." She giggled as she left, leaving me with rapidly paling complexion.

True to Syr's words, the moment she walked away, the door to the kitchen burst open and a white blur shot forth from there to my location. The blur reached me without issue, completely avoiding everything and everyone in it's path flawlessly until it rammed into me. I crashed onto the ground with the air knocked out of my lungs but managed not to land on my back so I won't aggravate my wound further.

Still reeling from the impact and crash, I shook the stars away from my head and look down only to find that my waist was being hugged by a cat girl. "Waaa! Cain-kun! You're back!" The girl cried with tears streaming freely from her eyes. "First you barge into the pub out of the blue one day, saying that you're going to be an Adventurer so you won't be coming over anymore. Then you immediately cut all contact with us for half a year like it's nothing! Do you know how worried I-we were!? We thought you've died!" The girl continued to cry while refusing to let go of me.

"Ack, Shishou! My back! Your hug is hurting my back!" I tried to detach the girl from my body but sadly for me, she's obviously too strong for me to pry off as I am right now.

If any of you were wondering, this is May, one of the chief working in this pub. She has short brown hair and eyes and is wearing a white chief uniform as well as a brown hat with two slits that let her ears pop out. You can say that she's also one of the reason why I worked here seeing that she's the one teaching me how to cook. What, you thought I already knew how to cook when I was born here? Hell no. I don't even know how to turn on the stove when I started. It exploded when I tried, dunno why.

May's also prone to emotional outbursts if you push her pass a certain threshold, something that I have apparently done without knowing because of how she's acting now. It's also ill advised to give her drama novels because she'll just bawl whenever she gets to the emotional part. The staffs of the Hostess of Fertility all have special circumstances for being here, May here included. They all have their own baggage to handle and most of them are here because Mia offered them a helping hand.

I got my part time position here easily enough because this place had only opened up recently back then and were still a bit short staffed. I took the opportunity to ask for a position where I can assist the kitchen and ask for lessons in cooking in return instead of money. Normally, Mia only accepts girls but back then I was very androgynous because of my figure and childish face so Mia mistook me as a tomboy and hired me. Yeah….less said about that the better. But even after she found out that I'm a guy, she didn't fire me because of all the good work I've put in.

It's a good arrangement that we have. I get to learn more cooking techniques and they get more hands to help out. Best part is, Mia even paid me for working here even though I only wanted to learn how to cook.

"*Hic* You could've drop by and *hic* tell us that you were alright you idiot." May just buried her face into my stomach and continued sob.

Not knowing what to do, I could only place my hand on top of her head and stroke it consolingly while ignoring the pain coming from my back because of how she wrapped her arms around me._ You know, lately all I've done is making girls cry because of my actions... __i__s it a curse or something?_

_Also, Naaza-chan, why have you been glaring at me like that for a while now? Your Nii-san is getting scared you know?_

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Things just happened one thing after another so I keep forgetting. I'll try to come by more frequently now alright?" I told her and I could feel her nodding.

"Mama Mia! May just ran out of the kitchen!" I heard someone shouted from the kitchen, probably one of the kitchen staff.

"What the hell!? We're practically drowning in orders here and she just up and left just like that! How could she!?" Another voice rang out.

"I heard that Cain-kun is here so maybe that's why." The first voice spoke again and was followed by a bunch of 'Oh's' and 'Ah's' of understanding.

"May, get back into the kitchen! We're already understaffed as it is!" Mia's angry voice came loudly from the bar, easily surpassing the other noises from the pub and the cat girl immediately let go of me and sprung up from the ground.

"Y-yes Mama Mia!" May straighten and wipe away her tears before turning to me. "I'm sorry about crushing you into the ground Cain-kun and, it's good to see you again." She gave me a wavering smile, looking like she wanted to keep on crying but was steeling herself so she won't. When she left, I noticed that there was a light spring in her steps as she vanishes into the kitchen.

I got back up and sat back on my chair tiredly, ignoring the curious **(read: jealous)** looks that the other patrons were shooting me.

"Nii-san is always getting friendly and touchy with other girls. Stupid casanova passive skill." I could hear Naaza mutter out coldly as I place my elbows on the table. I do believe that she is sulking right now.

_I'm pretty sure I don't have that kind of skill Naaza-chan. We're just friends here and nothing more. Also, where did you learn that word? You're like, 13. _I thought to myself wryly and offer her a sheepish smile which she ignored.

Miach on the other hand, is merely content in watching the shenanigans that I'm getting into. "Cain-kun sure has a lot of friends here doesn't he?" He said with a contented smile. I don't know if he's just being himself and merely commenting on what he sees or if he's teasing me right now; it's hard to tell when it comes to him. It's most likely the former now that I think about it. This is Miach that we're talking about, the man is as dense as a black hole when it comes to women and their feelings.

"I guess so. They're a pretty interesting lot to be around that's for sure." I answered truthfully. I didn't really think I'd make any friends here to be honest. The most I expected was a typical professional co-worker relationship when I started out seeing that I'm a guy and everyone else is a girl. Most of all, I clearly wasn't expecting to learn about how this place is a haven for those with special circumstances to start over.

I guess that's why I could fit in and get along with everyone so easily. We are all damaged in some way and could rely on each other for help. I'm pretty sure they would help me with my problems if I were to ask but I wont. My problems are my own and I can deal with them just fine. The only kind of help I would accept is a way for me to earn money-

"That's it!" I exclaimed all of the sudden, causing the other two to jolt in surprise at my outburst. I quickly got up from my seat and rush over to the kitchen. I push open the door and was greeted with the sight of busy staffs working frantically on cooking, preparing ingredients and pushing out dishes after dishes of food as quickly as they can while maintaining a set pace. I don't see May anywhere so I can assume that she went to the storage to get more ingredients.

I look around and easily spotted the one that I'm looking for.

"Mama Mia!" I called out to the giant dwarf who was busy cooking a pot of stew and drawing the attention of the staffs while I'm at it.

"What the? What are you doing here Cain? This is a staff area and you are no longer an employee anymore remember." Mia had a stern visage on her face as she addressed me but I can tell that she's feeling curious as to why I'm here as well since she hasn't yelled at me yet.

"I'm came to ask if can I work here again. Same arrangement as before." Mia raised an eyebrow at my words while I heard the kitchen staffs letting out gasps of surprise and began chatting with each other excitedly.

"Oh? How come? Didn't you become an Adventurer already? Do you even have the time and energy to come over and work?" The proprietress questioned with slightly narrowed eyes. I know her well enough to know that she can read people well enough to know if they're lying or not so the truth is the only option for me here.

"I'm banned from going into the Dungeon for the time being because of my own stupidity so I need another source of income to keep my Familia afloat until I can return there." I replied seriously.

"Eh, good enough." She shrugged. "You can start tomorrow."

"Yes!" I did a fist pump before I turn around to head back to my table. "Thanks a lot Mama Mia, I'll be sure to come by tomorrow."

I got back to my seat and was immediately questioned by my little sister. "Where did you go Nii-san?"

"I went to ask Mama Mia if I could get my old position back and she agreed." I answered her with a smile. "Since you only forbid me from going into the dungeon, there's nothing stopping me from earning money here."

"Nii-san, you're suppose to be resting." Naaza gave me a disapproving stare. "I wanted you to relax for a few days for once instead of working tirelessly."

"But cooking is relaxing for me Naaza-chan." I tried to assure her. "If I work here, I get to relax and earn money at the same time so I won't have to lose sleep over the time that I've wasted by not going into the Dungeon. Besides, the Hostess of Fertility is the safest place in Orario right now so I won't be in any danger here at all."

"I shall allow it." Miach spoke up before Naaza could say anything. Her head swivel and stare at our God with slightly wide eyes of surprise that he would actually approve of my decision. He look at her with a gentle smile. "Naaza, I think this is the best choice for everyone."

At her skeptical look, Miach explained his reason for allowing me to work here. "Think about it this way, it's better than having Cain-kun sneak off into the Dungeon when we aren't looking isn't it? You know how he is, there's no way he's going to sit still for long. So by giving him something safe to do, we can be assured that he won't be putting himself in harms way."

Naaza looked conflicted, eyes look at Miach and then at me repeatedly before she let out a defeated sigh and her entire body just shagged listlessly.

"Alright." She said quietly as she look down at the table and I was stuck with a sense of guilt that it's my fault that she's like this now. I realized that I need to do something to make her feel better, otherwise she would no doubt be extremely depressed again.

"Hey Naaza-chan, I don't start until evening rolls around so I'm free to spent time with you until then." I told her and her head immediately sprung up.

"Really?" Life seem to return to her and her eyes were hopeful as she stared at me for confirmation.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Since I haven't been able to spent time with you like I used to, this might be a good chance for us to do so. I'll let you decide on what you want to do too."

Naaza's lips turn upward into a small smile and she nodded. I can tell that she's practically beaming at this point even though she doesn't show it. I just have to look at her tail that's more or less spinning like a rotor right now.

"Excuse me nya! Here are you orders nya." Anya said as she came up from the side with trays on her hand. It seemed that our food has been prepared while we were talking. She set them down on the table and move the wooden plates filled with food from the tray to the table in front of us.

"Please enjoy your meal nya." Anya gave us a courteous bow before she left with the tray in hand.

With our food before us, we started digging in with gusto. I took the time to examine mine first before I start taste tasting it. It looked like some kind of meat coated with a golden sauce. I've never seen this kind of dish being serve here before but since May's the one who came up with this, it should be good. I wonder how long it will take for me to crack the code for this dish.

"WHAT!? Cainya is coming back to work with us nya!?" I heard Anya's voice blaring out from the kitchen. It looks like she had just heard the news.

"REALLY!?" Anya's voice was soon drowned out by May's own. I see that she had returned to the kitchen from wherever she was and had just been informed of my reemployment because of Anya's shouting.

"Both of you, stop shouting and get back to work!"

I couldn't help but smile to myself; hearing all the shouting coming from the kitchen sure does bring back a sense of nostalgia. I chucked at the sound of Anya and May being scolded by the proprietress before eating the food presented before me.

As I ate, I kept my ears open to listen to the gossip going around this place. Since this is a pub, it's naturally a hot spot for people to talk and gossip about the ongoing in the city. Sometimes you get to hear something very juicy and liquor does a fine job at loosening lips. You'll never know what people will let slip in their inebriated state.

A magnitude of voices all reached me and I let my mind sort out the jumbled mess like a filter, ignoring the pointless things while paying attention to what seem like new information or interesting tidbits. I can hear people talking about the usual things like how their days went or complain about how bad they had it but those were filtered out of my mind easily enough. Then, someone's voice filtered into my ear, talking about something that perked my interest.

"-rd that they found another one. It's the third one this month."

"Really? Man, just when I thought the streets are getting safer again too."

"Yeah. Someone found him in one of the alleys near free market. People from the Ganesha Familia went to crime scene to investigate and concluded that the killer is the same person. The victim is from the Rudra Familia just like the last two. I don't know what they did but they've apparently pissed someone off enough that they began hunting down their members."

"*Sigh* Not much we can do except stay at home and pray that trouble doesn't find you. The Ganesha Familia is doing their best to keep the peace but they've already spread themselves thin dealing with the fallout from last year's mess with Evilus. If only the Astraea Familia were still around to help..."

I frowned at the news that I've heard. Another murder? That kind of thing is getting more common lately. It's almost like Orario is reverting back to the dark age again.

While it's hard to believe now but Orario used to be a place filled with fear and sorrow, a time that is commonly referred to as the dark age by the people who had lived through that time.

The culprit that caused all that is called Evilus; a group of radical Familias who all share the same goal of spreading chaos and fear, led by a so called evil God. They did what they wanted and didn't care about anything else. They were finally destroyed about a year ago but before their demise, they were a force to be reckon with and brought nothing but misery and death with them.

Only through the effort of Loki Familia, Freya Familia, Ganesha Familia and the Astraea Familia did peace finally returned. A lot of Adventurers rose up and fought against the encroaching evil too. These unsung heroes suffered many casualties and fatalities but even then, they persevered and continued to fight against evil.

It took a long while but they managed to destroy Evilus after a coordinated attack on all their bases and peace finally return to the Labyrinth City.

But the peace came with a large cost. During the time where Evilus was still running lose, they managed to eradicate an entire Familia whose main focus was to safeguard Orario like a police force, the Astraea Familia. I've never seen them for myself but I've heard a great deal about them. They were a strong Familia whose members consist of Second Class Adventurers only but even so, the were still wiped out because they fell into a trap set by Evilus. They were well loved by everyone for all the things that they have done and the lack of their presence was very noticeable.

I continued eating in silence, thinking about the current state of Orario and what the future might hold. I don't know what's going to happen but I do hope I don't get dragged into the troubles that never seem to stop popping up. Since I don't go out of my way to look for trouble, I'm pretty sure that I'll be fine in that regard.

….

…..

Why do I get the feeling that I've just jinxed myself?

**-0-**

**Orario- Route To Blue Pharmacy**

**-0-**

After dinner, I decided to stay behind a bit to catch up with the people in the Hostess of Fertility while Miach and Naaza went home first. Miach was fine with it and so was Naaza but she did had a very thoughtful look on her face the entire time as she left though. I wonder what she's been thinking about?

I spent my time mostly talking to Syr and Anya, listening to what they had been up to and telling them about the things that I've done until now. I've obviously neglected to mention about the all stupid things that I've done of course. I'm not stupid enough to give them any ammunition to tease me with, especially to Syr.

It was fun, just chatting away without any worries to be had. But because I had too much fun, I neglected to keep track of the time and before I know it, it's near closing time already. I quickly bid them farewell and started making my way back home.

"Oh man, it's so late already." I muttered to myself as I walk along the chilly and empty street. I wasn't really in a hurry to get back as I don't need to get up early to go to the Dungeon tomorrow and I don't need to sleep as much as others. Being able to get 4-6 hours of sleep is good enough for me to feel fully recharged. Even if I didn't sleep at all I'll still be fine; I have lots of practice with that because of my insomnia from my past life. Hard to fall asleep when you're constantly under fire from the enemy after all.

I kept my head tilted upwards, looking towards the stars and taking in the beautiful sight of diamonds in the sky. I could never see them anymore back on earth so I'm taking the time to enjoy it now. Who knows when I'll have the time to stare into the sky so leisurely again. It was when I was lost in thought and moving on autopilot did I noticed a green blur flying overhead.

Just as the blur pass by, something drop from the sky and landed on my face with a wet splosh. I blink in surprise and use my hand to wipe it off. I brought my hand up and examine just what it is under the street light. My entire body became tense and alert immediately when I saw what it was.

_Yep, that's blood alright._ I thought to myself as I stare at the red stain on my hand. _T__hat __blur just now is most likely a person. They__ could've either gotten into a fight __and gotten hurt__ or had just finished unaliving some people._

I quickly look back up to see if I could find where the blur went but I found that the roofs were empty. Whoever that flew by me had long since vanished. I narrowed my eyes and look towards the direction where the blur had came from. I calculated the trajectory in my mind and came to a conclusion that it came from the south.

_Should I investigate?_ _My home isn't far so I feel that it would be prudent to check it out just in case._ With that in mind, I turn towards where I assume the green blur came from.

I move quickly towards a building in the south and used all my strength to kick myself upwards. With the strength granted to my by my Falna, I managed to scale halfway towards a 6 story building with just a single kick. I grab onto the bricks that's sticking out and easily climb the rest of the way up. My back stings when I move so vigorously but I ignored it easily enough now that I have something to focus on.

When I reached the rooftop, I stuck to the shadows, moving soundlessly and swiftly as I hop from roof to roof, keeping an eye out below to see if I could locate any place that showed signs of battle.

I reached the shady part of the district after a bit of searching and came to a halt when I saw a particular building that I think is where the killing took place. It's pretty obvious with the dead body by the entrance. A guard presumably. I walk towards the edge of the roof that I'm on and crouch down to survey the place.

_No sign of movement._ I noted as I look into the windows for any silhouette or moving shadows. _Either the people in there are laying low to gather themselves after repelling an assault or they're all dead._

I rack my mind to see if I could remember anything about this particular area. _Doesn't that __place__ belong to the Rudra Familia?_ I frowned as I recalled that tidbit.

The Rudra Familia, they're a secretive bunch that no one really knows about. They seem like a normal Familia but tend not to socialize with others at all and always exhibit a sketchy behavior. In fact, I haven't seen or heard from that particular Familia for a while now. I think the last time I saw anyone from that Familia moving around in broad daylight was last year.

Very sketchy indeed.

_Oh shit. Was that the killer that I heard about in the pub that flew by me just now?_ I blink in surprise when I recall the conversation that I've overheard in the pub. _Nope. I'm so not going to get involve with this._ I quickly stood back up and make ready to leave.

I was stopped from doing so when I saw movement from the building and I quickly crouch back down to make my profile smaller so I won't be spotted.

There was someone coming out of the front door. A male judging by the profile. I saw him trip over the dead body by the door before getting back up with a bit of trouble. I quickly realized just why when I saw that he only have one arm. The other one is nothing more than a small bleeding stump tied in thick layers of blood soaked bandages. I briefly wondered if he's either a survivor or another attacker that got left behind because of his wounds and settled on the former when I saw the emblem on his shoulder. That guy is obviously a member of the Rudra Familia. I can't really see his face from here but I can tell that he's a Cat People as he's got the cat ears, or rather, a cat ear, as the other one is missing and covered in bandages.

I came to the conclusion that this person must've survived the attack and patched himself up before trying to get away.

I watch him tried to get up and fall to the ground in a pitiful manner. I scratch the back of my head as I wonder what I should do in this situation. I don't really care much about people I don't know but there is someone who needed help in front of me right now so it's only natural that I should go help right?

But that might cause me to be associated with the Rudra Familia in some way. I don't want the killer to think that I'm with them and come after me as well. I don't know much about them either so I don't know if it would be a good thing if I help one of their member. They could either thank me later or start looking for me and ask me to do more for them just because I showed a little kindness. I also don't know what they did to piss off the killer so much or if the killer is just an assassin that was hired by someone else to kill them.

I watch as he crawl back up to his feet and started moving while leaning against a nearby wall. I sigh to myself and began rubbing my temples. _This is such a piteous sight._ I grumbled internally, wondering just what my God and little sister would want me to do in this situation.

Miach would most likely want me to help but Naaza would urge me to be more cautious and think before leaping into action. So in the end I still have no idea what I should do.

I heard the sound of metal crushing and I look down to see that the guy had knocked over a trashcan and fell back onto the floor.

"Oh, fuck it. I'll deal with the consequences later." I said as I jump down from the roof. _I'm really getting soft. __Hope this doesn't bite me in the ass in the future._


	3. Chapter 3

I landed on the ground with a roll to minimize the impact of my fall before stopping with a crouch. I slowly stood back up and started making my way over to where the man is, thinking to myself about how nice it is to have a superhuman body. I'd go splat in an instant if I ever tried what I just did back on earth.

I stopped being stealthy and started moving briskly, hoping that the sound of my footsteps would alert him that someone is coming. That way, he won't be alarmed when I show up to help….. Or, it could have the opposite effect and make him think that someone is coming to finish him off.

Huh, didn't think of that before. Oh well, I'm already heading there so lets just see what happens.

Now that I'm closer to him, I could see his condition better than when I was on the rooftop. Aside from the missing limb and ear, he also had multiple small cuts all over his body, like he had been showered in a hail of glass. He's also incredibly pale but that's to be expected from the amount of blood he had lost.

"Wow." I let out in admiration, feeling very impressed at how he's still alive right now with all the wounds that he had sustained. "You look like shit, do you need a hand or something?" I asked him before realizing that I've just made a pun and facepalmed myself.

The man reacted violently upon hearing my voice. His head snapped towards me so quickly that I thought I heard something pop from his neck. His eyes bore into mine, looking bloodshot and crazed; he looked utterly terrified, as though he's looking at a ghost.

Realizing that this situation needed to be approached in a delicate manner, I clamp my mouth shut before I say anything that might set him off.

_Jeez man, no need to look at me like that. From the way you're acting, it's almost like you didn't notice me- Oh right, **[Stealth].** I forgot about that passive._ I chided myself for forgetting about my skill. Even if I did make some noises on purpose or by accident, the skill would muffle it out for me by default so I could maintain my stealth. Unless I'm actively stomping my feet like a gorilla, my footsteps won't be heard at all.

"You! Are you with her!?" He spat out, showing extreme hostility as he forces himself to get up. He stood and lean his back against the wall, eyes filled with suspicion and fear that never left my form and his body was tensed like a bow being drawn.

I raise my hands slowly in a placating manner to show that I mean him no harm. "Er…no. Who is this 'her' that you're talking about?" I asked, wondering if he was referring to whoever did this to him or a reinforcement that he was expecting. Judging by the tone though, it's most likely the former.

His eyes narrowed and he let out a growl. "Don't play dumb with me! You wouldn't be here otherwise if you weren't working with that bitch! Why else would you be out here other than to finish off stragglers!" He shouted, his words almost came out in a slur like he's having trouble forming them; his eyes looked unfocused for a moment and his head started dipping a bit like he's losing consciousness. But before he could faint or something, he shook his head vigorously to regain himself before he return to staring at me with obvious hostility.

My guts tells me that he's not going to let me near him at all.

How on earth am I even going to help him if he won't let me? Then again, he did survive an attack from an unknown assailant so anyone is a potential danger in his eyes right now. Hmm, he's most likely delirious from the blood lost as well. I'm still very impressed that he hasn't kicked the bucket yet.

That won't hold true if he keeps delaying my aid though. By my estimation, he most likely have half an hour left if he didn't get himself treated right now. I'll have to start calming him down first before I could even do anything.

"Look, I don't really know who it is that attacked you or why. But I can tell you that I'm not with them nor am I here to hurt-" I tried to explain myself but was interrupted quite rudely.

"Fuck you! Don't lie to me you bastard! I won't let you take me as well!" He screamed at me hysterically, obviously not listening to me at all and I could only sag my shoulders in defeat.

_Oh great. The cliché I'm not listening to you and coming with my own conclusion moment. So original, much wow._ I thought to myself dryly as I roll my eyes.

That action prove to be a mistake on my part. As I was rolling my eyes, I failed to notice that the guy had pulled out some kind of whip with his only hand from under his shirt and started to attack me.

I saw what he was doing too late and he snap it forward with enough speed that his arm became a blur in my eyes and a resounding crack echoed in the air.

The whip tied itself onto my still raised hand and my combat trance immediately slam into place in preparation for combat. It prove to be just a bit too late for me to do anything however, as I found myself being slung from the ground and into the nearest wall with ease.

_Holy shit, this guy is ridiculously strong!_ The thought hit me before I let my mind go empty of any stray thoughts, allowing my combat trance to work at it's full capacity.

As I flew, I kept my mouth shut to avoid biting my own tongue and my decades of combat experience took over.

Impact immanent, adjusting position for optimal impact absorption.

I spun in the air and align my feet to the rapidly approaching wall. I slam against the hard surface with my feet and crouched to spread impact across my body so my legs won't snap. I could feel the tremor of the collision travel from my feet all the way to the rest of my body. There was a loud crash when my body met the building and I'm pretty sure the building shook slightly. I'm fairly certain that the people inside are awake now if they weren't already.

I drop the to floor on one knee, unable to stand up yet because my legs aren't responsive and is shaking quite badly. No hindering injuries discovered, bones are fine and legs will recover to full functionality in a few minutes.

"Dude! I'm literally just passing by to check what happened here." I shouted out to him in annoyance while I reach my hand down to my right ankle and pull out my old dagger that I had hidden there.

Me, unarmed? Never.

I cut the whip off from my hand while simultaneously analyzing him to get a clearer picture on what I'm dealing with.

Level of strength and speed indicates that he's a High Class Adventurer, a Level 2 or above. Behavior suggests that he is very hostile. Protocol in effect, engagement against high level threats is to be avoided. Probability of escape is high due to his injuries. Escape now?

Proposition denied.

Opponent has seen my face. Will likely remember me if he were to survive and believes that I'm with those who were trying to kill him. If he were to survive and recover, he might start hunting me for revenge and he might not be alone. Risk to Miach and Naaza too high if he were to do so; need to make sure he knows that I'm not the enemy first.

The guy is kneeling on the ground right now, coughing blood out of his mouth. I scan him over with a keen eye and speculated that he's like this right now because he exerted himself too much just now. Most likely aggravated his wounds when he was tossing me. "Damn it! If only there were monsters around. Fuck!" I heard him swore and my eyes narrowed.

Mention of monsters, speaking as though they would be useful to him despite them attacking everyone on sight. A way to draw monster's attention to opponent? No, opponent utilizes a whip in combat, a common tool use for taming monsters. A tamer most likely. Uncommon skill but not that rare.

Ability to control monsters added into calculation. Orario is safe and clear of any monsters but unknown if they are any smuggled out stored within the building. Opponent's mental state is questionable, might let monsters go wild and cause damage to city. Move to defuse situation before it gets worse and monsters are called to fight.

"Hey! I'm not here to kill you for fucks sake! Just calm down a bit and listen to me!" I tried reasoning with him but my words seem to fall on deaf ears as he just screams and swing his whip at me again.

The whip flew at me in a blur but this time, I'm more prepared and dodged it barely by tilting my head away. It flew past my face and I shot my hands upward and grab onto the whip to stop him from using it.

"What part of calm down do you not understand!?" I shouted at him as I pull the whip with all my strength, hoping to either pull the whip away or make him lose his balance at the very least. Surprisingly, I managed to accomplish both as the guy fell onto the floor face first before letting go of his whip. I heard his body go smack before he simply went limp and cease moving.

I stare at him in bafflement, still unable to comprehend what just happen as I pull the whip away from him and discard it to the side.

_Did I just killed him? _I thought to myself perplexedly as I slowly got up despite my shaking legs and move towards the body to check. I approach the downed man while keeping my guard up and held my dagger in a reverse grip. _Oh wait, he's still breathing. Good news I guess?_ I noted as I got closer.

Once I got within touching distance, I spoke gently to him. "Look, I've said it before and I'll say it again. I have no idea who you are or why you were attacked but trust me when I say I'm not part of any of this. I only want to hel-" My words were cut off short when the man suddenly sprung up like a spring with his only arm reaching towards my eyes.

My body moved on instinct and I immediately find myself swatting the arm away with one hand and dragging the blade of my dagger across his throat with the other. I could feel the resistance my blade was facing as it slit open the skin, muscles and blood vessels located that particular area and blood came gushing forth from the wound.

He fell to the ground again, this time with the gurgling of his dying breath reaching my ears. With the man dying by my feet, I quickly look around to check for any more threats that I need to deal with first. Finding none, I found the effect of combat trance dissipating and pointless chatter started to fill my mind again. I look down and saw that the man had already create a small blood puddle from his neck and is tenacious holding on to his life by pressing his hand against his wound.

Unless I have some high tier healing potion or magic on hand, saving him is just a pipe dream. The only thing I can do now is to end his life to save him from the slow death he's going through.

With how heavily injured he is, I'm not surprised to find myself the victor of this fight, if you can even call it one in the first place. High level or not, once you're near death, you're pretty much a push over.

Unless you're the main protagonist of course.

If you are one then you'll most likely start remembering about your past during your deathbed and some theme music starts playing. Then you'll slowly get up, feeling stronger than before despite being near death just moments ago and magically defeat your opponent with the power of friendship. Yeah, being the main protagonists is very bullshit.

"Great! Just great. Now I'm going to become a murder accomplice. Thanks a lot buddy." I complained as the guy I was trying to help gargled in his own blood. Knowing that he's just going to keep on suffering for a while if I don't do something, I didn't wait any further and jam my dagger into his temple.

His body went limp instantly and all signs of life left his eyes before I pull out my dagger. Then I slam it into his forehead again and twist the knife just to be sure he's dead.

Anime rule: Always make sure that the person you kill is really dead. If there's no body to be seen then he's not dead yet and if there is a body, do a double tap just to be sure. Don't want this guy to pop up years later looking for revenge just because I didn't finish the job properly.

If I had the time, I'd actually set the body on fire and watch it turn into ashes just for extra precaution. You can never be too careful after all.

But as it stands, I'm currently a bit busy and I want to be gone from this place before anyone arrives and sees me. I've just murdered a person after all.

I merely sighed as I pull the dagger out again and use his shirt to wipe away the blood before I sheath it back on the sheath on my ankle. All sympathy I had for him was already gone the moment he tried to gorge my eye out. I'm okay with him attacking me and all but going for the eyes is just a dick move.

I check myself over for any damages and was surprise to find that I didn't suffer any injuries aside from having my bones rattled. Must be my lucky day then. I thought I would've at least suffer some minor injuries from this encounter since he's higher level than me. Then again, he was basically dying already when we fought so I must've lucked out in that regard.

I glace at the man before looking towards the damaged building that he came out from, wondering if there are actually people still alive in there since this guy manage to survive. _Should I go check? If there is__ then maybe I can __still __help out a bit and keep __any survivors __stable before people arrive on scene to investigate __what happened__._ I thought to myself before a frown appeared on my face.

_Nah, I should leave instead. I've tried being a good guy and I got attacked for it. I'm lucky enough to survive this time because my opponent was critically wounded and I'm not going to test my luck again by charging in blind into unknown territory. If there are any survivors, they might react the same way as the cat guy did._

I'll need to leave quickly since whoever attacked the Rudra Familia probably made a lot of noise when doing so. The people living here most likely have already heard the commotion and ran off to report it. Won't be long now before people from the Ganesha Familia got the news and come to investigate. I really don't want to deal with them if I can help it.

I was about to leave the area but something stopped me from doing so and I glace back to the dead guy again. I stared at the corpse for a brief moment before shrugging and crouch down beside him. Then I started rummaging through his body for anything valuable.

What? I was attacked. It's only fair that I get something out of this right?

After a bit of searching, the only thing of interest that I found on him was a book. A very ornamented book to be exact. It must be something for someone with aristocratic tastes because this thing has gold edge plating for Pete's sake. The cover on both sides of the book has images depicting a lot of weapons and armors but no title of any kind that I could see. A book about weapons and armors then?

I have absolutely no use for something like this at all. Too stylish looking for my taste and I have no doubt that the words are written in some patrician style where the words are all wavy and hard to make out. The contents are probably filled with flowery crap to boost one's ego as they read as well.

The dead guy doesn't look like much of a reader so this can't be his. It looks expensive so maybe he intents to sell it so he'll have some money to use. I guess I'll be doing to same later when I have the time.

My ears twitched slightly when I heard something. Multiple footsteps, rapidly approaching too. Not knowing who's coming, I decided that it's best that don't take any more risks and leave now. I tuck the book away under my arm and ran towards the opposite of where the footsteps are coming from and straight into an alley.

I managed to reach it just in time too as the moment my body went out of sight in the alley, a bunch of people burst into the scene.

I stopped moving just as they appeared and press my body against the wall to hide myself further. I may have a skill for stealth but I'm not confident enough that it'll hide me so completely that they won't notice me while I'm running away while out in the open.

I peek a side of my face out of the corner a bit to see who the new arrivals were and recognize them to be from the Ganesha Familia. They are easily recognizable by their emblem that they wore, a head of an elephant on a shield. They also wore a ridiculous elephant mask that basically screams out 'I'm an NPC, don't bother remembering me!'.

I counted about 20 right now. They're starting to establish a perimeter around the area while 2 of them went to investigate the guy I've just killed. They move in a way that spoke of experience and proficiency, not even needing orders or signals to be given on what to do.

Damn, they sure got here fast for someone stationed on the other side of the city. It can't be more then 10 minutes since I arrived here. Someone must've run off to them and told them what happened here before I even arrived.

I'm starting to feel a bit worried but I should be fine so long as I keep a low profile and sneak out of the way. I can't move rashly as well or they'll notice something moving in the shadows and come to investigate. At times like these, I'm really grateful for **[Stealth]** as it'll make this way easier for me. All I need to do now is move away slowly and put as much distance as I can without alerting anyone. I haven't left anything behind that could be traced back to me so once I'm far enough, I can just pretend that I was just passing by the area.

My eyes widen slightly when I saw an azure haired woman enter the area and started giving out orders to the members of the Ganesha Familia. She's the only one without a mask so I could see her face easily enough. I recognize that woman immediately, how could I not when she's one of the famous people around Orario.

Shakti Varma, the strongest member as well as the captain of the Ganesha Familia.

_Oh great, it's the justice nut's sister._ I thought to myself with a groan.

There are a lot of people that I generally don't like or know that I won't get along with so I tend to avoid them as much as possible.

Most male Gods are firmly placed on the former as they always come in either one of the three categories. A) Only talks about tits; B) Only talks about ass or C) only talks about which one of the two is better. I have absolutely no respect for those kind of Gods and tend to ignore their entire existence.

Shakti is on the latter category due to her serious, no nonsense personality. She is a Second Class Adventurer who's well known for being someone who's steadfast in her views of justice and hates all that is evil. She actively went around hunting down Evilus members during the Dark Age and did a lot in stopping their operations.

I deeply respect and is forever grateful for everything that Shakti had done for the city. But even so, I have no desire to meet with her at all.

Incompatible personalities you see. If it were the old me back on earth, we would have gotten along without a hitch since I had the all work and no play attitude going for me then. However, I've already left that person behind in order to enjoy life more here so there's no chance in hell of that happening with the way I am now.

Anyway, there are plenty of stories about her and I've heard that she can sniff out a criminal just by being near them. That's also a reason why I wanted to avoid her.

As someone who commits illegal acts on a semi regular basis, I made sure to stay far away from her if I ever saw her in the streets. I'm not going to test that theory about her being able to sniff criminals out by going near her.

Also, if she spots me here now, she won't stop hunting me down until she catches me. Then she'd probably put me in cuffs and toss me in a room to interrogate me. I can't let that happen for obvious reasons.

_Welp, time to leave before I'm spotted. _Just as I finished thinking that, I noticed something particular.

Shakti was looking at my direction.

Our eyes met.

_Well shit._

**-0-**

_Tonight just isn't my night. First, I got attacked for trying to be a good samaritan and now I'm being chased by a level 5 who's got a boner for justice._ I let out a mental sigh as I reach an intersection in the alley.

I did an emergency break by sliding on the floor to bleed out my momentum. When I've slowed down enough, I immediately sprint and duck into the path to the right. As I did so, I felt a rush of wind flew pass my back, telling me that my pursuer had overshot herself and went straight ahead at the intersection. Then heard the sound of boots scrapping against the ground as Shakti attempts to grind herself to a halt so she could turn back and come after me.

I use this chance crouch behind a trashcan that was on the path that I've taken and waited. It wasn't even 1 whole seconds before I felt another burst of wind brush against me as Shakti rush past my hiding spot.

I quickly slip out and ran back the way I came from and took a random path at the intersection and started running away again.

I've been trying to escape Shakti for a solid 10 minutes now and so far, I've been failing in that regard. I just can't lose her completely no matter what I've tried.

As a level 5 Adventurer, she obviously outclass me in terms of speed and pretty much in every other area actually. The difference between us is so ridiculously large, it's like comparing the Schwerer Gustav to a potato gun. A limp, flimsy potato gun that gives up after firing once.

The only reason why she still hasn't caught me yet is a testament of my skill in evading the enemy. Both my experiences and body are being push to the limit just so I could avoid being captured. The environment is also a big help in that regard. The complex network of alleys is a good place to loose people chasing after you. I'm also eternally grateful that there's no moon out tonight. Because of that, the entire area is shrouded in shadows and it allowed me use **[Stealth]** to hide me as much as it can.

Shakti can't use the rooftops to locate me as I would be completely invisible if she tried looking from above. She noticed that very quickly too and chose to chase me on the ground where she could still something moving in the dark as long as she's close enough.

Even so, there was quite a few close calls where she almost caught up with me. Thankfully, I was able to evade her so far by either running through a building by entering through a window, or hiding to let her pass by me like just how. I know for sure that they will be a lot of unhappy residents because of the all windows that I've smashed through.

Every time I manage to give her the slip, she would have to stop for a few moments in order to figure out which way I went. That give me enough time to put in some distance between us before she comes after me again.

But still, I can't keep this up forever. My stamina is taking a huge hit from running at my full strength this whole time and my luck would undoubtedly run out eventually. I've used every trick I could in my situation but somehow she always manages to figure out where I went.

How does she do it? Experience? Gut feeling? Instincts? Woman intuition? Or is she really a bloodhound that can sniff out criminals?

My mad sprint came to a halt when I turn around a corner and found myself faced with a wall.

_Shit! It's a cul-de-sac!_ I mentally screamed as I look around for any other path to take. Going back is a no go because I can hear Shakti coming in from there. There's also no windows that I could barge into and climbing to the roof would take too long, especially when Shakti could just reach there with just one leap.

_Has my luck finally run out?_ I grimaced as I realize that there's no path left for me to go. I scan around once more, looking for any miracles that would magically appear to save my ass.

_Are those cardboard boxes?_ I thought as I spotted a pile of them among the junk filled alley, just laying neatly against a building.A ridiculous idea came to mind when I saw them but I'm rather hesitant to try it because it's just plain dumb.

Then I heard the sound of Shakti's rapid footsteps and I changed my mind instantly.

_Fuck it, I'm out of options! Metal Gear Solid don't fail me now! _I prayed as I lift up a box that I could fit into and curl into a ball underneath it.

It wasn't a moment later when I finished stuffing myself under a cardboard box did I hear Shakti appeared at the dead end. "What the?" I heard her utter out in confusion as she came face to face with the wall like I did earlier.

I can't really see anything from inside the box but I could hear her just fine as her footsteps slowed down until there's nothing. Then I started hearing repeating tapping sounds coming from where she is and I'm guessing that she's tapping against the wall right now. I'm thinking that she's trying to find some kind of hidden passage or something.

I hope that she thinks that there is one and that I'm already gone so that she doesn't search the area. It would be extremely embarrassing if she just lift the box up and find me there.

I could hear her click her tongue in what sounds like annoyance before the footsteps resumed. I think she's starting to look around the place and a sense of dread started to make itself known.

_Just give up and go already! _I shouted mentally in hopes that it'll get her to leave faster.

"I know that you're here somewhere. Stop hiding and come on out." I heard her shout and I could feel myself shiver involuntarily as the sound of things being rummage through reach my ears. Thankfully, the area is filled with junks and trash so it might take a bit before she reaches where I am.

I was beginning to lose hope when the sound of things being flip around gets nearer to where I am. But then, almost as if fate herself had willed it, a miracle happened.

"Captain!" I heard a male's voice call out they approached the dead end that we're in and the sound of Shakti searching ceased.

"Ah, Momonga-san. Why did you come all the way here? Did something happened back at the crime scene?" Shakti asked, her voice serious and laced with a bit of concern.

"That's not my name Captain, It's Modaka." I heard the man replied in a tired voice, almost as if this isn't the first time someone got his name wrong. "Anyway, we have investigated the building and found something deeply concerning there. We figured that it would be best if you come see it for yourself so I came to find you."

There was a brief moment before Shakti let out a sigh and replied. "Alright then, let's go Momonga."

"My name is Modaka! Also, where's the person that you were after Captain? I don't see anyone here but you. Don't tell me….you didn't manage to catch them?" Momonga sounded very surprise for some reason.

Shakti let out an annoyed growl. "No, unfortunately." Judging by her tone, it's almost like she's frustrated at not being able to catch me.

"That's...shocking. I've never heard of someone escaping from you before Captain. Whoever it was, they must be incredible at escaping." Momonga seem to be in awe at my ability to escape Shakti's grasp. Aww, you're going to make me blush with your compliments buddy. But sadly, I'm still here and didn't escape at all. Not yet anyway.

"Well, I suppose that there's a first for everything. Whoever it was, he's a slippery bastard." I heard her grumble in displeasure. "He's also using some kind of magic to conceal himself too since I can't even see him properly." So she doesn't know what I look like at all, good. Also, she at least knows that I'm a male since she referred me to as a 'he'. Maybe she deduced it from my profile when she was chasing me?

I feeling oddly appreciative that I've grown enough to the point where someone actually thinks that I'm a dude just by looking at my body.

At last, all my effort at working out seem to have finally bear fruit. No more will there be people mistaking me as a chick when looking at me from behind. No longer will I have to deal with perverts slapping my ass when I'm serving people at the pub.

"Let's get going then Momonga. Just what it is that you guys found that's so important anyway?" Shakti asked they began moving away quickly.

I heard Momonga sighed before he replied. "It's unfortunate but everyone at the scene is dead. They're all from the Rudra Familia as well so the killer must be the same one that's been hunting them down. However, we may have discovered the motive as to why someone has been killing them. You see, after searching through the building-" The man's voice became too faint for me to hear after that and I was left alone in the alley with a sense of relief flooding through me.

Thank you Momonga or Mudoka or whatever you name is! You've saved my ass today and I'll never forget it!

I waited for about 2 minutes before I think that they have gone far enough and decided be okay for me to leave now.

But, just I was about to remove the box, my gut feeling suddenly warned me not to. I felt confused as to why. My gut feeling had never been wrong before so I trust it more than anything. _But the question is, just what is it trying to warn me about?_ I frowned and started pondering about it.

_Could this be the cliché where they pretend to leave but is actually still __around, __waiting __for me to show myself__? __Damn, didn't thought of that. __I should wait a bit more just __to be on the safe side__. _I figured. I really don't want to take off the box only to be greeted with Shakti and that Momonga dude standing there with smug looks on their faces.

And so I waited, listening to my heart beat against my chest as the seconds tick by.

_You know, this box here sure is comfy. It makes me feel calm and composed somehow. I feel like I've finally found my inner peace or something. Am I secretly a cat? Maybe I should give an empty box to Anya to see how she'd react to it. I'd probably find her hiding in one later on like all cats tend to do. I'd pay good money to see that. _I thought to myself idly as I wait for time to pass.

Time passed by agonizingly slow and I could feel my body starting to ache from being in this position for so long. My internal clock told me that 20 minutes had already passed and I am starting to think that just I'm being paranoid._M__aybe __I was wrong and that __they really did __head back to the crime scene._

I about ready to leave again when Momonga's voice reached my ears and my entire body tensed. "Captain, we really should go now. Whoever it is that you were after most likely have already fled. Waiting here any longer isn't going make him pop up."

_Above!?_ I thought to myself in panic as I pinpointed the origin of Momonga's voice. _So they were waiting for me after all! Staking out on the roofs I see._

"But I'm absolutely certain that he went through here." I heard Shakti replied with a sigh. "Just where could he have gone? There's no hidden path that he could take and he never took to the roof for some reason." She sounded annoyed as she spoke and then I heard the sound of them leaping away.

Not knowing if they're really gone or if they're just staking out again, I resolve myself to keep on waiting for the time being.

In the end, it was an hour before I could finally feel safe enough to leave the safety and comfort of my box.

**-0-**

**Orario- Near the Blue Pharmacy**

**-0-**

With the threat of being caught gone, I began moving away from the area. To be on the safe side, I stuck to the shadows for a good while until I got far enough from the crime scene. Then I simply walk back home normally as though nothing had happened.

I lift my arms up to stretch my back and let out a pleased groan as I felt my spine pop. The soreness and aching of being in a position for a lengthy period of time is slowly being ease out of my body as I continued to move. "Man, that felt good." I muttered to myself as I let my arms down. "Still, to think that I managed to keep this on hand the entire time I was running away." I said as I stare at the book on my hand. After all the trouble I've went through, I'm sure as hell going to sell this crap and get my money's worth for all the trouble I went through to get it.

Still, with everything that happened in such a short notice, it almost felt like I've just stepped into some plot stuff. But that notion is just plain absurd. After all, it's not like I'm the main character of the show now am I? That's Bell's job.

"Hmm?" I let out when I got near my home and saw that there's still light coming from the window on the back of the shop. _Someone's still awake? I wonder who could it be?_ I thought as I approach the back door.

I took out my own key to the building and opened it. With the door pushed open, I was greeted with the sight of Naaza sleeping on the kitchen table. The lamp was on so I could see her easily. She was laying her head against her arms on the table and breathing softly. There was a book next to her so I assume that she was reading it until she eventually fell asleep.

_Just what's so interesting that she decided to stay up late to read?_ I wondered. Right now it's well pass midnight and she should be in bed long ago. Has she reached her rebellious age already?

Oh well, I can scold her in the morning for staying up past her bedtime, but right now I should put her to bed first before I hit the hay myself. God knows that I'm tired and sore already from what happened tonight.

I close the door behind me and locked it. I move to where Naaza is and pick up the book on the table check what she was reading. _Hmm? 'Categorization of Development Abilities'? What's she doing reading this? And more importantly, where did she get it from? I don't recall that we ever own this book _before. After examining it for a bit, I simply put it back on the table along with the book that I've picked up. _I could ask her about it in the morning. _I thought as I turn off the lamp.

With my hands freed, I proceed to pick her up in a princess carry and started to walk to her room, moving as steadily as I could. Once there, I place her on her bed gently before I pull her blanket over her. I brush a bit of her hair away from her face and smiled slightly at how peaceful she looked in her sleep.

I started walking back to my room but Naaza's groggy voice made me stop. "Nii...-san?" I look behind my shoulder to see that Naaza had woken up and is sitting up from her bed, rubbing her eyes tiredly before she let out a yawn.

"Oops. Did I wake you Naaza-chan?" I asked with an apologetic expression on my face.

"Kinda." She replied with a droopy nod.

"Sorry about that. I'll leave real quickly so you can go back to sleep Naaza-chan." I said as I start moving again.

"Wait. Nii-san." Naaza call out to me and I pause in my steps again. I turn around to face her and saw that she had move herself to be sitting on the side of her bed. She reached out and turn on the table lamp by her bedside, illuminating her room a bit so we could see each other.

"Yes?" I asked her, noticing that she look rather hesitant about something and I started thinking about why she asked me to wait. So far, the worst thing my brain could conjure up is that she's going to tell me that she had gotten herself a boyfriend while I was away and want me to meet with him. If so then I'll be _glad_ to met him and have a little chat with him in private. Preferably in some sound proof room.

No boy is going to date my little sister without me threatening them first! I have a sword at the ready and I'm not afraid to use it!

I kept my expression neutral while I began fantasizing about the many ways one could torture someone with a sword while Naaza work up the courage to say whatever it is that she wanted to say.

Then, my brain decided that it would be a good idea to supply me with another ridiculous reason why Naaza wanted to speak with me. _No wait, rather than having a boyfriend, it could be something far worse. She could have just had her first period and wanted to ask what's happening to her! Oh lord, I'm not ready for that kind of conversation! Where's an adult when you need one!? Oh wait, I'm an adult. I need an adult who's better at adulting than me!_

"I want to gain a Development Ability." She said eventually, her voice came out in a soft whisper.

I felt my mind come to a screeching halt just when I was considering tossing Miach to the fray. "What?"

"I want to gain a Development Ability." She repeat herself, this time more loudly. "I want to be able to do more to help get our Familia back onto it's feet. If I could at least get [Synthesize]then I will be able to make better potions even with low quality ingredients. With something better to sell, we'll be able to attract more customers like we used to do."

"But Naaza-chan, that would mean…" I trailed off as I thought about what getting a Development Ability entails.

"Yes, I know. I would need to rank up if I ever want to gain one. So Nii-san, as for what we'll do tomorrow, please help me get stronger so I can eventually rank up." She replied, her face was set in one of determination and I was left trying to figure out just why Naaza suddenly wanted to do this.

If I want to explain what a Development Ability is, I'd say that they're like passive bonuses in video games. For example, when you're making weapons, they'll come out way better and stronger then you'd normally be able to make if you have [Smiting] or [Blacksmith]as your Development ability.

There are many kinds of Development Ability out there like say, [Abnormal Resistance]. It's one that lets you resist status effects such as poison and other stuff, or [Mage] that literally just boosts your magic and gives your a very awesome looking magic circle. I don't know a lot aside from these because I just skimmed through the book explaining Development Abilities back when I was studying.

But the only way for someone to get one is to level up to 2, or rank up as they call it here and there's a chance to get more from every subsequent level up onward. There's also the chance of one not appearing when you rank up, or multiple appearing for you to choose from. It's all depends on luck and whether or not you're doing something for a while for that particular Development Ability to manifest itself.

If you keep making lots of weapons and armors then there's a higher chance for [Smiting] or [Blacksmith] to appear when you level up. [Synthesize] should be the same as well and judging from it's name, it involves making items.

But the main problem still remains, leveling up. Naturally, leveling up makes you a lot stronger than before but it's a feat that's very hard to achieve. It's so hard that most Adventurers never make it past their level 1 status. Only those who are talented or have the right resources to aid them could easily level up while the rest of us have to fight tooth and nail for it.

Remember the particular kid that I've mentioned before? The one who managed to level up in just one year? She's the most talented one out there. She even set the record for the shortest time required to level up. Normally, it would take years for someone to level up but the time needed could shorten with lots effort and determination.

I heard that there are some requirements that needed to be met first before one could level up but I don't know what they are. I only wanted to be able to fight monsters in the dungeon to earn money, so leveling up wasn't much of an interest to me back when I was studying about Adventurers and the Dungeon. The lack of interest is mainly because of the time it'll take to achieve it.

"Naaza-chan, I don't even know the first thing about ranking up. I'm not sure how I can even help at all." I told her truthfully. "I do know that having high stats is a must but that's about it." Coincidentally, it's something that Naaza already has.

That's right people, my little sister, just a year younger than me, is actually the stronger one. To be fair, she did have a 5 years head start of me at the age of 8. She went into the Dungeon with the rest of our Familia as a supporter when she first started out in order to gain some experience. Then, when she's got stronger and felt confident enough, she joined the fighting herself instead of staying away from the battle.

She's been steadily increasing her stats like this for 5 whole years so it goes without saying that her stats are plenty high right now. I'm just not sure if it's high enough.

Naaza's ears seem to drop a bit but they perked back up moments later. "Miach-sama would know. Our Familia had level two's before so Miach-sama should know the method for ranking up."

_She's right._ I realized. _But still, why would she want to do this all of the sudden?_ I mused in concern before my mind reached a plausible explanation. "This is because I got hurt isn't it?" I look to Naaza for confirmation.

Naaza shook her head. "This idea has always been at the back of my mind. But what happened to you today made me want to put it into action instead of letting it be an idle thought. With the Development Ability, our shop can actually earn more so you don't have worried about not having enough money all the time."

_So it's my fault after all. _I thought as I ran my hand over my hair with a sigh. "Is there any chance I can dissuade you from doing so?"

"No." Came her instantly reply.

"Damn it, why do you have to be so stubborn." I muttered as I shook my head.

"I learned it from you Nii-san."

"Damn you past me. Why do you have to teach Naaza to be so stubborn? You're making this hard for me and future me you know?" I said dramatically to no one in particular with a deadpan, causing Naaza to crack out a small smile.

Knowing that this is going to be one hell of a conversation and I'm currently too tired to care, I decided to postpone it for now. "Alright, alright. Look, I can tell that this is going to take a while so we'll continue this conversation in the morning. So go back to sleep for now. I'll probably be able to handle this better if I get some shut eye first." I told her before I let out a yawn.

Naaza nodded and quickly move to turn off her lamp before she lay on her bed and cover herself with her blanket. "Good night Nii-san." She said to me.

"Yeah, good night to you too." I replied as I turn around and walk out of her room. I pause just as I was about to close her door and peak my head back into her room. I can still see Naaza's slightly from the light shinning pass the opened door. "By the way, where did you get that book about Development Abilities?"

"I borrowed it."

"From who exactly?"

She pull her blanket up to her nose. "...Amid-san."

Ah, that girl from Dian Cecht Familia.

It doesn't look like it now but Naaza didn't know how to make potions at all back then. She wanted to be an Adventurer at first but circumstances caused her to change her occupation. Because of that, she settled with being a doctor instead to help lighten Miach's load.

Sadly for her, she didn't have any experience on healing people nor the knowledge needed on making potions.

We had other Familia member whose main focus was making potions but they left before they passed down their knowledge of potion making to either of us. Miach took it upon himself to teach Naaza but only when he could find the time to. But since he's the only one manning the store back then and is making potions all on his own to replenish our stocks, he's quite a busy man.

He can't have Naaza learn when he's making them because we were already low on supplies and ingredients so everything needs to count. Using out already low supply of ingredients for practice is not the smartest thing to do, especially when the smallest mistake would result in a bad batch.

That's where Amid comes in.

She was there when Miach and I went to beg for Naaza's prosthetic arm. She heard of our plight and what Dian Cecht demanded of us in return for it. She knew that we simply do not have that kind of money her God demanded and is well aware of what will happen to us if we were to accept the deal.

It could be pity, or it could be guilt due to her God's greedy behavior that drove her to see if we were doing alright a few days after that event had transpired.

Naturally, she found out that we are not doing alright. I was not even in most of the time as I was elsewhere, getting ready to start my Adventurer career. Miach was being swarmed with things to do due to people leaving the Familia and Naaza was sitting behind the counter most of the time, feeling frustrated that she couldn't do more and trying to learn from watching Miach.

It was after seeing the state that we were in did Amid offered her aid.

The Dian Cecht Familia often stockpile a lot of potion ingredients, sometimes a bit too much. If they didn't use them in time, they will start to go bad so they toss them out just before they do just to be on the safe side. Amid thought she could bring the ingredients that were about to go bad and use them to teach either of us how to make potions when she could.

I'm legitly terribly at potion making despite being born in a Familia focusing on healing so I declined while Naaza begrudgingly accepted her guidance because she wants to be more useful.

I'm not sure why Amid wanted to help us since our Familias are rivals but I decided not to look at a gift horse in the mouth. In the end, it doesn't matter what her reason is to me so long as Naaza gets to learn from her so I'm all onboard with the idea.

Oh, they also developed some kind of rivalry after it was discovered that Naaza is a natural at potion making.

"I see." I nodded. "I'm glad to see that you two are getting along well." I said with a smile.

"We do not get along." Naaza replied with a small frown.

"So you say, but yet you two still met up frequently." I pointed out.

"Only because there's still things I want to learn from her. She came over to teach me and I tolerate her presence so I could learn something useful."

_W__eren't you the one who dropped everything __you were doing__ and went to see her __the moment__ you heard she had gotten hurt in an accident?_I thought but decided not to voice it. "Well, not all friendships starts out great." I replied with a look that basically said 'you're not fooling anyone'.

Naaza pouted slightly at me and pulled her blanket over her head. "We're not friends." She denies stubbornly and I chuckled while shaking my head slightly in amusement.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say. Goodnight Naaza-chan." I told her as I close her door.

"Night, Nii-san." Her voice came from the other side of the door and I walk back down to collect my bounty from tonight's escapade. I obviously can't leave it there because Miach or Naaza might see it in the morning and ask me about it. I best hide it in my room for the time being until I can find a way to sell it. Preferably without being found out by my Familia.

I can probably sell it for a few thousand Valis since it looks so expensive.

But how am I going to explain where the money came from though? Maybe I can slip it in my coin pouch and lie about the amount that I've earned from the Dungeon the next time I go farming? Yeah, that could work.

I reached the kitchen and pick up the book before heading back to my room.

**-0-**

My room is small and very spartan, void of any unnecessary things as I've only ever use my room for sleeping and nothing else. The only thing here is a bed to sleep in, an end table with a lamp next to it and a closet to keep my clothes.

I walk over to my bed and sat down on it's side. I wanted to put the book down on the end table before I went to sleep but a tiny voice of curiosity spoke up.

_Dude, what's the book about anyway?_

Go away curiosity, I tired and want to sleep. We can find out about it tomorrow.

_But dudeeeeee, I wanna know. You can't expect me to keep quiet after everything we've been through to get it._

The book isn't going anywhere. We can read it tomorrow morning after the...conversation with Naaza. Ugh, I still don't know how I'm going to handle that. I don't want her to put herself in danger after what she'd been through.

_You know I'm going to keep you awake at night until you read it right?_

Realizing that the asshole curiosity is right and that I have no choice in that matter if I wanted a good night's sleep, I simply groaned and move to turn on the lamp instead.

With a tired sigh, I proceed to open to book to read the first few paragraphs before hitting the hay.

When my eyes landed on the pages of the book, I was expecting to read about some kind of cheesy story about knights in shining armor or about weapons and armors due to the illustrations on the covers.

I was not however, expecting the words of the passage that I was reading to start morphing around like a sea of centipedes to form a face, my face. Or rather, half of it. One side is the exact replica of my face while the other half is nothing more than a skull with a burning orb of an eye. I also noted that the face that I was shown had fractures all over it like a cracked glass.

I was also not expecting to hear a voice in my head that sounded like my own.

**[Rejoice, for you have gaze upon a terrible mirror of truth. Here, there can be no lies, no deceit. Your demented soul will be laid bare for you to see so you may better understand yourself. Thus, I am thou and thou art I. Now, let's get started shall we? After all, there no rest for the wicked as you tend to say.]**

After the voice finish speaking, something clicked in my mind and I began to scream inside of my head. _Fuuuuuuuuuccccccckkkk! It's a grimoire! __And I've just read it! God fucking damn it __all__!_

Magic comes in two forms in this world: innate and acquired. Innate magic is like race magic that can only be used by the race that developed it. Acquired magic on the other hand, is one gained from Falna and it's extremely RNG based. It appears on it's own and with no restrictions. Because of that, acquired magic takes many forms and the it's effect depends heavily on the excelia you've earned. You might get it or you might not, who knows.

But, there exist a third way to acquire magic and that is via grimoires. A grimoire is a spellbook that enables one to learn any magic stored inside it instantly. It's an easy way to learn magic without having to spend years practicing it or praying to RNGesus to give it to you. Naturally, it's also the most expensive one. It goes without saying that even a single grimoire containing the weakest spell will costs a lot. The price range for that could go from 50 million to 100 million for weak spells.

Truly, it's the same as the pay to win system that's been plaguing the gaming world before WW3.

Oh, and the worse part is that grimoires are a one time use item. Meaning that it's immediately useless the moment someone opens it up to read it and learned it's spell. Something that I just did.

_God fucking damn it! I could sell this for a fuck ton of money but I just had to open it up and read it like a fucking twat that I am!_

**[Erm...are you done screaming inside your head yet?]** I heard the book ask me and I stopped ranting so I could focus my attention back on the book.

_Why do you sound so British?_ I couldn't help but ask.

The face on the book showed an amused expression, which is kind of disconcerting because it's my own face and half of it is a skull. **[I'm connected to the subconscious of your mind in order to have a voice to speak to you. If I'm British then that means you're British in your head.]**

_Ah, that makes sense._ Okay, okay. So maybe it's not a complete lost. I mean, I get to learn magic so that's something right? But first things first, I need to ask it some questions.

_Can you give me askill that would increase my growth?_ I asked, hoping for some broken growth skill like the one the main character has. It would certainly make my life easier.

The expression on the book turned neutral. **[No. I'm a grimoire. I can only give the magic that I have stored inside of me.]**

_Damn. Ah well, at least I've tried. So, what now? You're just going to give me magic or something?_

The face on the book showed a small smile. **[Again, no. There are some questions that needs to be asked regarding your opinion on magic. It is only after you answer them will you be granted the spell stored within me.]**

_Can't you just give the magic to me without the questions because I really wanna crash right now. _I asked it tiredly, not really in a mood to play 20 questions.

**[No.]** The book replied in the negative again.

_Why not?_ I asked it in curiosity.

**[Because that is how I am designed.] **It answered with a roll of it's eyes.** [Think of it as the spell is being stored in a computer file and that it's password protected. The answers you give will unlock the file so you can access the spell.]**

_Okay, that is a very disturbing analogy coming from a book. I don't think people in this world knows what a computer is._

**[What part of 'I am thou and thou art I' do you not understand? We're connected and that there's nothing you can hide from me. Either way, shall we begin? You are tired and I do not want to stay connected to your mind any longer than I have to.]**

_Do not cite Persona to me, book. I was there when it was first released. But yeah, let's just start so we can get this over with already._ I sat straight, eyes meeting with the one on the book as I mentally prepare myself for whatever questions it might throw my way.

**[Very well, what is magic to me?]**

_A convenience. It's something that will let me get things done more quickly and easily. The more versatile it is the better._

**[What is magic for me?]**

_It's a tool. Just another tool to add to my arsenal in order to increase my chances of victory. Nothing more, nothing less. _

**[What do I seek in magic?]**

_For the ability to survive, against any odds. I have promised her that I will return home alive and well. For that to happen, I need to survive whatever and whoever wants me dead._

**[Is that all you want?]**

…_.No._

_There's more, so much more that I want._

_I want my Familia to be happy and well, to have never experience that incident in the Dungeon that __drove us to where we are now. They won't admit it but they do feel lonely now that it's only three of us left._

_I want a peaceful life, void of any conflict. I tire of all the fighting, I'm sick of all the killing. __I've stopped wondering if the screaming will ever stop._

_I __want the people living in this world to stop trying to screw each other over something trivial so we can actually get along properly. I have seen and lived through the aftermath of what will happen if they don't._

_But we both know that it's not going to happen any time soon. _

_The world used to be a very dark place where evil __used to__ ran rampant. But through the efforts of many, it became peaceful again and the evil that plague the world __has been__ eradicated. _

_But that is a lie, a facade put in place to maintain order. __I know that __evil cannot be purged __completely__. __So long as people still exist, it will return.__That is the __absolute __truth._

_Naturally, that meant that __Evil__us__ still exist. __A resourceful group like that can't be purge so easily__. __They are like a cult, their fervent worship of their evil god is a good indicator __as any. They can easily sway any like minded individual to replenish their ranks and gain support from rich and greedy people who wanted to use the chaos that they would bring for their own means._

_I have dealt with groups like them before. I have hunted down __remnants of those who had survived the purge__s__ like a hellhound. But, even with all my effort and the effort of many others, they still pop back out like an annoying zit that you just can't get rid off._

_Evilus __now __lurks in shadows now that the light had beaten it away. __I know this better than anyone __from experience__. _

_Like a __roach__ infestation, __they__ will grow with time, out of sight, out of mind. Having suffered defeat, __they__ will be force to learn __from it __and grow smarter__, to adapt __their__ methods to be __deadlier__. And when they reemerge from the shadowy depths, they will be numerous and they will be stronger than ever before._

_But... that's a problem I am more than happy to let others deal with. __I will deal with them if I ever see them but so long as they don't touch my family and friends, I won't actively hunt them down. _

_I've already decided that I'll live my own life and do what I want__. __I'__ve mentioned before that __I __want many things and most of it is impossible __or impractical__, that much is true. So for now, I'll stick to the most feasible one;__ keeping my family safe. __No matter the cost._

_Be it legions of monsters or Adventures, I will fight them all if they ever so try to harm my family. _

_They can send their hordes at me to put me down, they could pelted me with arrows and spells to break me, but I will endure as I always have. And in the end, I will be the last one standing among the settling dust and ashes._

The face in the book gave off a demented laugh and I find myself slowly losing my conscious.

**[How very selfish of you. But that's who we are.] **It said and I found myself drifting off into a dreamless slumber.

**-0-**

**AN: If anyone is thinking that it's stupid that Shakti never noticed Cain in the box, the only answer I can give you is that plot needs to happen. So yeah, plot armor for Cain. XD**

**By the way, I have 2 questions to ask you guys. 1 question and a request for ideas to be exact. There are some things that I just can't quite figure out and it might slow my progress down with this story until I do. I'm hoping to ask it here and that someone might answer them for me.**

**1) The question.**

**What is Naaza's magic and what does it do?**

**The wiki says that it's Darbh Daol and I've asked around in Danmachi discord and reddit about it but got no definite answers from there. I'm hoping for some clearer answers here.**

**2) The request.**

**How is Cain going to help Naaza? **

**I'm assuming that Naaza is already a level 2 for a while in canon and managed to reach the middle floors before she got into her accident and lost her arm a bit before the story starts.**

**But that's obviously not the case here so she will need another way to reach level 2 and get her development ability.**

**What's more is that Nazza's trauma here is not as severe as her canon counter part. The Naaza from canon had been burn alive before chunks of her legs and arms were eaten. The Naaza here on the other hand, merely had her arm chomped off before she was rescued. You can imagine the vast differences between the two. **

**So, because of that, the Naaza here is afraid of monsters but just not as debilitating to the point where she'll froze solid as her canon counterpart.**

**Well, that's all folks. If you can answer my question and give me some ideas, I'll be extremely grateful.**

**Thank you for reading this story of mine and hope you enjoy your day/night.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I'd like to thank everyone for their ideas and suggestions as well as answering my questions. With your help, I now know where to go with this story and will implement some of your ideas immediately.**

**As always, there will be mistakes since I can't spot them all on my own so do forgive me for that.**

**Without further ado, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy.**

**-0-**

When I awoke from my slumber, I found that my entire body is sore for some reason and it didn't take me long to figure out why. Apparently, I fell off my bed at some point during the night and had been sleeping on the cold wooden floor.

I found that rather odd since I'm a very light sleeper. If I fell to the ground in my sleep then I would've woken up instantly. I groggily push myself up into a sitting position and scratch the back of my head with a yawn.

My room is still dark as the sun hasn't risen yet and even without checking, I know that it's 5 A.M right now. My internal alarm clock wouldn't let me sleep past that even if I went to sleep 5 minutes prior to wake up time. I can feel the cool morning air tingling against my skin and my breath came out with a faint white mist.

"Man, that was some strange dream last night." I muttered tiredly as I got up from the ground, fragments of last night's dream filtering through my mind in a haze. I paid it no mind and started stretching my body to work the kinks out while my thoughts idly wanders towards what I should make for breakfast today.

Once I'm done, I turn around to make the bed. My hands moved quickly and in a blink of an eye, everything was in order and my bed looks neat like no one had slept on it before. It was after I was done did I finally notice a ridiculously expensive looking book placed on the end table next to the bed. Upon seeing it, last night's memory hit me at full force and I slap myself on the face for even forgetting about it in the first place.

I let my hand drop to my side and move to pick the book up hesitantly, hoping that maybe it really was a dream and that I've never read the book at all. With the book in my hand, I flip it open and what greeted me was nothing but blank pages. I flip the pages rapidly to see if there's something left on it but alas, nothing popped out. "Oh God, it's not a dream." I groan in despair. Millions of Valis that I could've gotten from selling this thing, gone. Now it's nothing more than an over glorified paperweight.

I sighed and place the book back down, knowing full well that regretting what had happened is pointless and I should just move on.

Since I've already read it, then it must mean I've acquired some kind of magic spell by doing so. But I won't be able to tell what kind of spell I got until I update my Falna, which I'm currently banned from doing so until I'm healed. Judging by the how my back still stings slightly from being touched by the fabric of my shirt, I'd say it'll still be a while before then.

Hooo boy, I'll need an excuse ready for Miach when that happens. Maybe I can feign ignorance? No, Miach will see through me instantly if I try to straight up lie. It's a miracle in and of itself that he haven't found out that I'm a reincarnated soul yet.

Great, just great. I've just woken up and I'm already faced with a difficult situation.

You know what? Let's just put that aside from now. It's going to take a while for my back to be healed completely so I have some time. I'll probably think of something later but for now, I'm going to take a shower and make some breakfast to relax so I can stop thinking about troublesome things.

With that in mind, I start making my way towards the bathroom.

**-0-**

Feeling refreshed after a cold shower, I dry myself off and put on my usual black theme outfit that consist of a long sleeve shirt and trousers before heading towards the kitchen.

Once I'm there, I immediately head towards the pantry and open it's doors to gaze upon it's contents. Immediately, I was met with another problem that left me at a lost.

I stood in place for a while, not really doing anything but stare at the pantry with a frown etched onto my face. Since it's still quite early, the kitchen is illuminated by the magic lamp so I could see what I'm doing. I scan over the contents one more time and my frown deepens. Bummer, there's just so many options available for me that I just can't decide on what to make.

_Should I make something lavish or just go with a simple breakfast?_ I mused as I rub my chin in thought.

After mulling over it for a bit, I settled on making something that doesn't require a lot of effort simply because I'm feeling a bit lazy today and began preparing the ingredients.

I took a loaf of bread and some eggs and set them aside on the kitchen table before going back to pick up a handful of potatoes and a single large onion. With the ingredients on hand, I went to collect a large bowl and started cracking some eggs in them. I add in a pinch of salt and started whisking away with a fork until it's mixed well before I put the bowl down.

I walk over to the stove and place a pan over one of it's burners. I turn the knob on it with a click but no fire came forth. I quirk an eyebrow and tried again. Another click reached my ears but there's still no fire to be found.

I crouch down and opened the door below the stove and reach my hand in. When I pulled it out, I was holding onto a transparent magic stone the size of my thumb, signifying that it had used up all of it's power.

You know why the Guild would pay Adventurers for retrieving magic stones? This is the reason.

We mainly use it to power appliances that everyone uses for their daily life like this stove here. The equipment and appliances in this world were made with magic stones in mind. The stones have magical power in them and the appliances can harness that power for themselves. Without Magic Stones, things like lighting, water purification, refrigerators, heaters and other things wouldn't be possible. Naturally, the bigger the stone, the longer it'll last. But since I only have ones the size of my thumb, mine can last for half a day at best if I use it sparingly.

It's very environment friendly too so we don't have to worry about pollution like back on earth. Hooray magic!

Should I be concerned that there's some technologically advance things on the list despite the setting of this world being somewhere near the renaissance age? Nah, it's probably one of the deity's fault that we have these unimmersive things. I'm not complaining though, sure makes my life easier in some ways.

There's also other usages for magic stones but I'm not sure what they are. Either way, magic stones are the cornerstone of society and world is entirely dependent of them. Too dependent actually. So far, I've never heard of any other method to produce other forms of energy to use. It's always magic stones this and magic stones that.

You can probably tell why that's a bad thing if you're from earth. Should the Dungeon ever run out of Magic Stones then society will collapse harder than your mama falling out of her bed.

The ones in power will try to delegate who gets the leftover magic stones and continue to enjoy the wonders of technological conveniences while the weak will have to bear with it in resentment and start living like it's the stone age again.

That won't last of course. The magic stones will run out in time since the Dungeon isn't producing it anymore. Unless someone figure out how to harness another source of energy, people will fight each other over the smallest fragment of Magic Stone.

It'll be like WW3 all over again but this time with magic and superhumans thrown into the mix.

Should I do something about it?

Fuck no. I'll probably be dead from old age already by then. Let the future generation handle that crap.

Then again, I might be thinking about it this way because I'm very bias from my experience. Who knows, maybe the Dungeon will never run out of magic stones. Maybe the world won't descent into complete senseless savagery again just because some precious resource ran out. Hell, people might actually figure out a way to produce renewable energy to keep the world running. Either way, so not my problem.

I move away from the stove and went to collect a new magic stone from it's storage. I walk back and insert it into the slot within the stove that holds magic stones and heard a click, signaling that it's now locked in place.

I close the door to the inner component of the stove and turn the knob again. This time fire spring to life and started heating up the pan. I turn around and pick up the loaf of bread and the bowl of beat up eggs and place them near the stove.

I pour some oil on the now heated pan before I took a few slices of bread and soak them in the bowl evenly. With the bread properly soaked, I put them on the pan to fry.

It wasn't long before I have three plates on the side, each with their own slices of french toast.

With one type of food done, I went on to make the next one, which is hash browns. As I was busy peeling the potatoes and onions, I noticed someone coming into the kitchen from the corner of my eye.

I glace over and saw that Naaza had just walked in, back slouched and rubbing her eye with one hand.

"Oh, morning Naaza. Rare for you to be up this early." I said to her as she shuffle sluggishly to the dinning table.

"Mmm….can't sleep….kept waking up…." She muttered tiredly as she pull back a chair and sat down on it. The moment her butt touches the chair, she immediately slouch onto the table and rest her head against her arms. It wasn't long before she started emitting cute snores as she enters Morpheus' domain.

It should be said that Naaza is extremely terrible with mornings. It usually takes a lot of effort to wake her up and she would be moody for a while afterwards.

Knowing that she's not going to be responding to anything that I say for a while, I went back to making the food.

With the potatoes and onions peeled and finely diced in their own respective bowl, I began washing the potatoes to get rid of the starch. It was then did Miach enter the kitchen as well.

"Morning Cain-kun." He greeted me with a smile

"Morning Miach-sama." I greeted back with a nod.

"I see that Naaza has already woken up already. What an uncommon sight." He commented as he walk past me to the kitchen counter.

"I know right? It's rare to have all three of us here before breakfast even began." I turn my head slightly to see what he's doing and saw that he was making coffee. He poured some coffee power into a kettle and add water into it. I grimace slightly when the scent of the coffee power reaches me. I really don't understand just why people would even drink that bitter stuff.

"That's true, but I don't think Naaza is actually with us right now." Miach replied with a chuckle as he set the pot onto the burner next to the one I left the pan on. "I'll help set up the table for you then." He said as he turn the burner on.

"Thanks Miach-sama." I smiled as he went to grab the eating utensils.

Time passes for us in a comfortable silence, silence because my stealth passive made my cooking virtually silent. Miach is sitting by the dinner table and reading today's newspaper while Naaza slept on like a child that had stayed up too late to play.

It wasn't long before I finish cooking and present the plates filled with french toasts, hash browns and scrambled eggs to my Familia. I set the food in front of them just in time to hear the kettle whistle, informing me that the coffee is ready.

I turn away from the table and went to turn off the stove. I took two mugs from the cupboard that had the chibified faces of Miach and Naaza drawn onto them to mark which one belongs to who. I poured some coffee into them and I add in milk for Naaza's and sugar cubes for Miach. I didn't get any for myself since I'm more of a tea person.

I place Miach's mug in front of him, earning a 'thanks' from the man and move on to place Naaza's in front of her. Then I proceeded to wake the girl up by gently shaking her shoulder and calling out to her. "Oh Naaza~ wakey, wakey. If you don't wake up soon, I'm gonna eat everything from your plate again."

The threat of losing her breakfast was enough to jolt the girl awake and she pushes herself off the table to sit upright, mumbling something incoherent in her sleepy state as she struggle not to fall back onto the table to sleep again.

"Here's your coffee sleepyhead." I said with an amused smile and push the mug over to her.

Naaza's eyes followed the moving mug lazily. Using her prosthetic hand, she grabbed the mug by it's side and brought it to her lips without paying much attention.

"Careful, it's hot." I warned her when I saw what she's about to do but my warning came too late as Naaza sipped the drink the moment I finished speaking. Her eyes widen immediately in shock and she coughed into her mug, causing the coffee to spray out a bit and staining a bit of her clothes with droplets. She quickly move the mug away from her lips while her eyes squeezes shut in obvious pain as she stuck her tongue out.

"Owie…."She said as she set her mug down, now visibly more awake than before.

"Well, I did warn you." I chuckled a bit as I rub her head in order to comfort her.

"Nii-san could've warned me sooner." She complained in her usual soft voice and I could feel her leaning her head against my hand in order to get more out of the head pat.

"Yes, yes. Nii-san is sorry for being so slow. Seeing that you haven't completely burnt your tongue yet, I suppose it's time to start breakfast before the devil's drink can claim another victim." I grinned as I remove my hand from her head and move back to my seat.

"Coffee isn't the devil's drink. It's a marvel created by the Gods." Naaza was quick to defend her favorite beverage with a small pout.

"So says the coffee fan. Anyway, the Gods didn't invent coffee, some hungry fellow did when he was scavenging for food. He coincidentally found the very first coffee beans while out in the wilds and started cultivating them into what they are now. Not exactly the most outstanding of beginning for what would later be known as the tongue burner of many sleepy individuals." I smirked at her.

"At least it's a better origin than a bunch of drunkards randomly putting things in their mouths and coincidentally discovering tea leaves." Naaza shot back and I gasped in shock.

"How dare speak ill about the forefathers of tea!?" I utter out in a scandalized manner while trying to keep my lips from quirking upwards to maintain my affronted look.

"I dare." Naaza replied cheekily.

"Now, now. Let's not have an argument over which drink is better so early in the morning." Miach interrupted our repartee like always with an amused smile on his face. "Let's us enjoy our meal first before they've gone cold."

""Yes, Miach-sama./Sure thing, Miach-sama."" We both replied and quiet down to eat.

By now the sun is slowly rising from the horizon and faint rays of light were shinning through the windows to illuminate the kitchen. The sounds of early birds chirping mixed with the metallic clinking of our utensils as we dig into our food somehow manage to created a serene atmosphere for us. Ignoring the fact that the Dungeon exists and the fact that Miach is a God, I couldn't help but see this scene as a normal family having breakfast together.

I smiled and continue to enjoy this peaceful morning free from any troubling thoughts and worries. At least until we finish breakfast.

**-0-**

With breakfast finished, I came to a daunting realization I can't procrastinate any longer. Not when Naaza had been staring at me expectantly right after she finished her food.

It's time to discuss what we talked about last night.

I managed to buy myself some time by washing the dishes but I couldn't come up with anything that would get me out of this predicament during that time.

Right now, we're both seated at opposite sides of the dinner table so we would be facing each other. We aren't alone as Miach is here with us as well. It seems that he noticed that something was up and decided to stay behind just in case he's needed. I know that he'll leave if we asked him to but we kind of actually need him for information.

I had my elbows on the table, fingers entwined together while resting my chin on my thumbs as I regard the Chienthrope in front of me carefully, my face a complete blank to masks my anxiety. Naaza on the other hand, was the very picture of calm as she stare into my eyes with firm determination behind those half lidded eyes of hers. She tilt her head towards Miach's direction while keeping her eyes on me and I frown behind my hands.

Looks like she wanted me to be the one to ask Miach about the method of leveling up but I'm feeling very reluctant to do so. I have a feeling that if Miach knows what we're up to, he would support Naaza despite his reservations on letting Naaza out into the field. After all, what good parent wouldn't want to encourage their child to follow their dreams?

"If I may, can either of you please tell me what's gotten into you two? I'm sensing that something is going on here but for the life of me, I can't figure out what." Miach was the first to spoke up after the two of us hadn't said anything for the past 15 minutes after sitting down.

Looks like I really can't delay no longer.

I close my eyes and took a deep breath before looking at my God. "Well, Miach-sama, Naaza-chan here told me last night that she wanted to gain a development ability by leveling up. But since we have no idea how one would even do so, we thought we would ask you about it." I informed him and I could see Naaza smiling slightly.

"I see." Miach nodded in his usual understanding manner. "Very well. I shall give you both the basic explanation so listen closely." We both sat up straight and paid attention to what Miach is about to say.

"In order to rank up, two conditions must first be met. The first is that you need to have at least a D rank in one of your Basic Abilities. It's the most simple one to achieve since all you need to do is to keep training until you reach that rank. The second however, is a lot more complex. It requires you to accomplish something that even the Gods themselves would be impressed with. Should you manage to fulfill these two conditions, you'll be able to rank up the next time I update your status."

"That...doesn't explain much. The first I can understand but the second one sounds very vague." I muttered as I wondered in confusion as to how one even go about accomplishing that. Gods are very fickle beings so it goes without saying that impressing them will be very hard.

I glace over to Naaza and saw that she had a confused expression on her face as well. It looks like I wasn't the only one who's at a lost on what we should do.

Miach began scratching his cheek sheepishly in return. "Well, that's why I said it's complex. To be honest, even I don't know how the Falna system works fully; I'm just using it like the rest of the Gods are. I think only the original creator of the Falna system knows everything there is to know about it."

"By the way Miach-sama, do you mean the second part literally? As in a deity needs to bare witness to your feat when you're performing it in order for it to be recognized? If that's so then does this mean we need to drag a god around with us and hope that something happens?" I asked with an amused smile. "Because I can imagine myself tying a god to my back while I perform stupid stunts all in hopes that he'll be impress with me enough to help me rank up."

"No, no. Of course not." Miach chuckled at the mental image I had conjured up for him. "That would be very inconvenient for everyone involved. Imagine having to organize everything for that to happen. You'll need to plan everything as well as finding a god with free time to watch you do it. It's actually more simple than that. The feats that you've accomplished are actually recorded down in the excellia that you've gained. So if you managed to do something impressive, I'll know when I update your status because your excellia will tell me about them."

"I see." I muttered as I thought deeply about what Miach had said. If you think about it this way, leveling up is basically just overloading the container that is your soul with a burst of excelia gained by doing something outrageously impressive. It will push the container past it's limit in order to transcend into the next level. A grand act to mark the end of your old level and the beginning of your next one. "Are there any suggestions you can give us Miach-sama, because I'm drawing blanks here."

Miach let out a thoughtful hum and rub his chin in thought. "Well, I heard that Adventurers usually defeat a powerful monster in order level up." He offers.

I shot that idea down immediately. "No! Absolutely not!" I slam my hands onto the table and stood up. "We are not doing that, _ever_. There will be no pointless risk taken for the sake of leveling up. Engaging against a superior enemy is not only a dumb thing to do, it's also a surefire way to get oneself killed." I said sternly as I shot Naaza a look that basically says 'Don't even think about it'.

Naaza seem to shrink under my gaze when I looked at her. It looks like she was actually considering it but thankfully, I managed to nip that idea in the bud.

Miach raise his hands in a placating manner. "Now, now. Calm down Cain-kun. I was only saying the first thing that came to mind. It doesn't have to be killing a powerful monster, there are other ways to achieve it."

I nodded and sat back down and gesture for him to continue.

"From what I know, the method to met the second condition could be something as simple as creating something never before seen. Or it could be something difficult like solving a difficult puzzle that had been plaguing the greatest minds for centuries; or resolving a tense diplomatic matter between two countries peacefully. So long as it's something truly impressive, it'll work. Killing a strong monster just so happens to be the easiest one out of all of them."

After hearing that, I simply let out a groan and began rubbing my temples. "First one sounds simple enough but the rest is almost impossible. Well Naaza, do you have any idea on what to do to get started? I'll tell you again the fighting against strong monsters is a no go."

"It really doesn't matter how, I just want to level up for the Development Ability." Naaza spoke up for the first time since this discussion started. "I know that it's unrealistic achieve a rank up just because I wanted to. I'm actually prepared to work for however long it may take. Besides, Nii-san already promised me that he'll spent time with me today so anything is fine so long as we're working towards that goal."

"I see…." I uttered out while feeling lost on what to do. "Wait, we've been so focused on the second condition that we never address the first. Naaza-chan, what is the highest rank in your stats right now?" I ask the brown haired girl.

Naaza tilt her head slightly to the side as she furrow her brows with a look of concentration on her face. Since it's been a while, she's most likely trying to remember what her stats were. "It's an E, I think, in Dexterity."

Hmm, just one rank short for meeting the requirement. So it took her five years to get an E rank in her stats huh? Well, unlike me, she has always been more of a range supporter than a front-line fighter and only fought when she needed to. It would make sense for her stats to only be this far along if she tries to avoid conflict as much as she could. "It looks like we'll have to raise your stats first before we can think of doing something impressive to wow the gods."

"Then... we can go into the Dungeon and train for today." She suggested, the look on her face showed that she didn't like that idea but is willing to push aside her distaste in order to get what she wants.

I grimaced and frowned. "Does it have to be the Dungeon? We can still raise your stats even if we don't go there you know."

"Of course it has to be. The Dungeon is the fastest way to gain excellia. Have you forgotten that you were the one who said I get to decide on what we'll be doing? Does Nii-san intent to take back his words? I'll be really sad you know?" Naaza said all that flatly with a stoic look on her face. Her eyes however, seem to be saying that she'll really be upset if I did.

She knows that I'm not one break promises so her words sort of put me in a bind right now. "Is there really no way I can dissuade you from doing so?"

"No." Came an instant reply.

"Figures." I murmured before giving Miach a pleading look that's saying 'please stop her'.

Miach seem to notice my reluctance in this entire affair. "You are against the idea." He stated, knowing that I don't support Naaza's idea of entering the Dungeon.

"Yes." I answered while Naaza frowned slightly at my answer.

"May I ask why?" He asked.

"Why? Miach-sama, Naaza wants to enter the Dungeon. The very place where she almost lost her life. I don't want her to put herself in danger again."

"I'm not some porcelain doll that you need to protect constantly Nii-san. I can look after myself just fine." Naaza said to me testily as she cross her arms in front of her. It seems that she is tired of me watching over her like a mother hen whenever we're together. I suppose I have been overprotective of her as of late but to be fair, she did lost her arm and almost died in front of me.

"You can hate me all you want Naaza, but your life and safety takes priority over everything else for me." I said steadfastly.

We both glared at each other, our stubborn wills are clashing against one another and neither are willing to give any ground, just like all the other times we had arguments with each other.

But, before we can start a squabble over this, Miach interrupted us. "Now, now. Settle down children. Don't start a fight over this. We can talk this over like civilized people." Miach chided us and we both back down reluctantly. "Well then, at least now you know how we feel when you want to go to the Dungeon, Cain-kun." He said while giving me a knowing look. I found myself feeling guilty at his words and shrink down in my seat.

That's true. I must've caused a lot of worry and anxiety for my Familia when I asked to be an Adventurer back then. They were both against it but yet I persisted in making my unreasonable request until I manage to change their mind. "We've allowed you to do what you want back then so it's only fair that you give Naaza the same treatment right?"

I grimaced like I had just been struck. His words did more damage to me than Naaza's puppy dog eyes ever could. "But aren't you worried Miach-sama?"

"I am worried, just as I worry about your safety every day Cain-kun. But still, if that's what Naaza wants then what else can I do but to support her wishes? You can't honestly expect us to keep Naaza locked up here forever so she could be safe now do you? It would be like keeping her in a gilded cage." He reasoned. "Naaza is a person, Cain-kun, not an object for you to keep locked away because you're afraid she'll get hurt. She has her own desires and wishes that she wants to fulfill. As a member of the same Familia, I expect that you'll do your best to support her just as she supported you. Besides, it's not like she'll going alone. You'll be by her side won't you?"

I purse my lip into a thin line as his words shook my resolve. I slowly turn my eyes towards Naaza and saw that she was looking at me with a hopeful expression. She wants to do this, I can see it in her eyes that she had already set her heart and mind on this, come hell or high water, she will not deter from the path she had set for herself. Stubborn to the bitter end, just like me. Oh God, what have I created.

My thoughts turn towards the past and I remembered all the things she had done for me up until this point.

She was there to keep my company when I was younger. She stuck with me still back when I still haven't learned how to enjoy life and taught me how to feel again in her own little unique way. She complains about me a lot but yet she didn't leave me to my own reclusive ways like others in our Familia did when they labeled me as a weird child.

Even if she didn't know it, she had dragged this tired and battered soul out of it's dark and empty cage to see the world in a new light.

Frankly, I owe her a lot and I don't think I can ever repay her for all she had done for me. But still, a debt was owed, and what's left of my broken humanity felt obliged to do the honorable thing, to repay that debt. I suppose I can start by letting her have her way. I let out a groan as I find the last piece of resistance in me giving up like the French did when the war started. "Fine, let's do it." I grumbled.

"Yes!" Naaza shot her arms up victoriously at my declaration while Miach just smiled happily at both of us. I just pouted slightly at how excited Naaza is for this.

But before she could burst out of her seat from excitement, I spoke up. "I guess that means that the restriction is lifted then?" I asked her.

She paused "Huh? What restriction?" She replied with a questioning tilt of her head.

I merely smirked at her confused look. "Have you forgotten that you forbid me to enter the Dungeon until I'm fully healed? Since you want me to enter the Dungeon with you, I'm assuming that you're lifting the restriction."

Naaza's eye widen slightly as she remembered that particular fact and the excitement in her eyes turned into one of disappointment. "You're right…. It wouldn't be much of a punishment if we just lift it after a single day. I guess I'll just have to wait until you get better first."

"So, what do you want to do in the meantime?" I asked, wondering what we can do until I get better.

"….I don't know." Naaza looks as lost as I am on what to do right now. Looks like she was so focused on thinking about getting a Development Ability, she neglected to think of anything else if her plan didn't work out.

"If you two are unable to think of anything, I may have an idea to suggest." Miach spoke up and we both turn our attention towards him. "While you're both waiting, why not take the time to practice. Naaza's skills are bound to be rusty after being idle for so long right?" He offered and we both smiled at the idea.

Naaza hop up from her chair and nodded. "Right then. I'll go get my bow and arrows. Nii-san, wait for me at the entrance please." I gave her a small nod and she ran off in a hurry.

The moment she was gone from sight, I turn back to my God. "Wait, if we're both gone, what are we going to do about the store? Do we have to close it in the meantime?" I ask as the thought suddenly came to mind.

"Of course not. I'll run the shop while you two are out." Miach informed me. "You two haven't spent much time together lately and I don't want it be spoiled because you're both worrying about the store. So don't worry about this place and go have fun."

"You sure?"

"Certainly."

"You're not going to give out free stuff to customers are you?" I narrowed my eyes at him accusingly.

"O-of course not." Miach stuttered, looking mildly offended that I would even think that.

"Your stutter just now doesn't fill me with confidence Miach-sama."

"You're simply imagining things Cain-kun."

"Okay, I'm ready." Naaza's voice rang from the front of the store. "Nii-san? Are you ready to go yet?"

I look over towards the door that connects to the kitchen and back to my God. "Right then, I'll be going now Miach-sama. Thanks for volunteering to looking after the shop for us." I bowed and got up from my seat.

"It's nothing Cain-kun. It's the least I could do for you both." He gave me a small smile as I walk away.

I stopped at the doorway and look over my shoulder at him. "Remember, no freebies. We're running a business, not a charity." I told him sternly. Miach simply looked hurt by my lack of faith in his ability to look after the store properly. I rolled my eyes at his reaction and walk towards the front door where I spot Naaza waiting for me there. She had slung a bow over her shoulder and is wearing a quiver filled with arrows on her back.

"So, how are we going to do this? You shoot at things while I watched or you shoot at me while I dodge. Personally, I prefer the latter since we'd both get some training in." I asked her as I walk up to her.

Naaza looked at me incredulously and shook her head. "I'd rather not do something that dangerous Nii-san."

"Okay, your choice." I shrugged, thinking that I can probably do something else while she trains. "So the former then?"

"That'll be the wisest choice seeing that I have been out of practice for a while now. We can go to the Training Hall and rent a spot for the day. Seeing that it's still quite early, we won't have to wait in a queue." Naaza told me as she open the door and walk out. I followed after her and close the door behind me. We both started walking down the street with Naaza leading me.

"Hmmm…..the Training Hall huh." I began mulling over that idea as I scratch my chin. "Can't say that I've ever been there before."

The Training Hall, though it's named that way it's not actually a hall but an extremely large building with multiple facilities owned by the Guild. People from all walks of life can use it for their own convenience so long as they pay a small free beforehand. Kinda reminds me of a gym to be honest. It's pretty cheep too since most people don't go there on account of the fact that there's another training spot readily available for everyone in the form of the Dungeon.

The people who go there are mostly beginners who just want to make use of the equipment that the Hall provides for training in order to get used to fighting. If you're lucky, you'll get to see some veterans there as well, though they're mostly there just to instruct the rookies of their own Familia. If you've got the cash, you can also hire a personal trainer there to teach you the basics.

But you don't have to go to the Hall to train if you don't want to. You can practice anywhere you want in Orario so long as you don't bother or accidentally hurt anyone. I'm guessing that Naaza just wants to make use of the target dummies there. We have some money to spare so I guess it's okay to go there.

"Ne, Nii-san?" Naaza spoke up as we entered the main street.

"Yes, Naaza-chan?" I replied with a quirk eyebrow.

"Are you going to be watching me while I practice?" She asked, sounding a bit uncertain.

"Yep. Are you nervous that I'll be watching?"

"Of course not." She replied with a confident huff. "I'm just wondering what you'll be doing while we're there. It'll be boring for you if you just sat and watch the entire time won't it?"

"Ah, you're referring to my crippling inability to sit still aren't you?"

"Yes." She confirms with a nod, a bit of worry seeping into her tone. "Are you going to be alright if I don't pay attention to you for a bit?" I could react indignantly at her lack of faith in me but I won't, mostly because she's right to worry. If I'm not doing anything, I'd probably go bug some other Adventurer there for fun and got into trouble because of it.

_Is there something that I do there that won't disturb Naaza's training? _I thought before an idea struck me. I could feel a light bulb lit up above my head as I slam my fist into my open palm. _Oh wait! There is!_

"I have an idea." I declared with a wide grin.

"And I'm suddenly feeling very worried." She replied wryly.

I merely rolled my eyes at her before continuing. "You can teach me how to use a bow while we're there." I suggested, looking at her with a smile.

Naaza blinked in surprise, obviously not expecting me to say that. She's most likely thinking that I would suggest something ridiculously comical or some crazy plot like ruling over the city. To be fair, I did gave that idea some thought before, but I dropped it after I realized that it'll be too much work. "Why? Nii-san never seemed interested in using a bow before."

"That's true. At least until now." I answered her. "So far I've stuck to melee weapons because it's the easiest option available to me. But then I thought, 'Why not keep my choices open?' Having a range attack would be great for me to thin out groups before I engage them up close so it'll definitely help a lot. You can teach me the basics after you're done and I can learn by watching you. This way, you get to polish your archery skills and teach me at the same time. It'll be like a brother and sister bonding session."

She smiled softly at the idea and nodded. "Okay. Sounds nice."

"Great. Let's get going then. The sooner we reach there, the more time we'll have to mess around." I said before I took off with a sprint, leaving my little sister behind in the dust. "Last one there has to wash the dishes for tonight." I told her as I started laughing like a villain.

"Hey! No fair Nii-san. That's cheating." She whined as she started running to catch up with me.

**-0-**

**Orario- North West Street, Training Hall**

**-0-**

When we reached the Training Hall, we immediately went to rent a spot in the Archery range from the counter. The cost for the rental is a cheep 300 Valis price, the same amount for a meal in a restaurant. They do want rookies to come and get some practice in after all, so they can't set their price too high or it'll just push away customers. After that, we were lead outside by a staff member to a wide field behind the building where targets were set up.

There were multiple sets of wooden columns to mark a spot for archers to stand in, each comes with their own targets set at different distances. Just by looking at the place, it easily reminds me of a gun range. The one that we rented had it's target set at an easy 100 meter away from the shooting point. It comes the form of a wooden plank with a picture of a Goblin on it. We were left to our own devices afterwards.

I stood back and watch as Naaza took out her bow gets herself ready to start shooting. While she's doing some basic warm ups, I took the time to look around the area. I easily noticed that there's not a lot of people using the range right now. Understandable, since most adventurers prefer using swords and magic nowadays for some inane reason like it probably looks cool or something. They don't seem to realize that they would be going face to face with creatures that wants nothing more than to rip their heads off. I blame the stories of heroes filling their heads back when they were kids.

After Naaza was ready, she got into a stance by setting her feet shoulder-width apart and her back straight. She held out her bow to face the target with her right arm. She retrieve an arrow from the quiver with her other hand and notched it on bowstring.

I kept my mouth shut as I observe her, taking in every minute detail that she's doing. Right now Naaza is taking a few deep breaths with her eyes closed. When she opened them, she immediately drew her bow to it's full draw and I can easily hear the sound of the bow bending itself as it's string was drawn back. Naaza aimed for a brief moment before she let go of the arrow. The bow snapped back into it's original shape while sending the projectile flying forward at full speed.

The arrow flew straight and true, the sound of wind being cut as the projectile soar through the air reaches my ear and it ended with a soft thunk as the tip of the arrow bury itself into the wooden frame of the target.

I clap my hands and smile. "Nice. You hit it's shoulder."

Naaza however, frowned and simple shook her head. "I was aiming for the head." She clarifies and began the process of preparing another arrow and I started observing her again. She ready herself for another shot, drawing her arrow once more and aimed. "...Nii-san, you're staring very intensely at me." She said as her eyes shifted over to me while her ears flapped slightly. Because of how intensely I'm staring at her, I manage to notice a very faint pinkish hue starting to form on her cheeks. Is she getting embarrassed? D'awwww. That's cute.

I grinned and shrugged. "Well, I am trying to learn by watching so I kinda need to be staring at you. Please ignore me and continue."

Naaza pouted at me before looking back to the target. She took a deep breath before releasing her arrow. The arrow struck the target with a thud and this time, it hit the torso, dead center. I simply smiled at the sight and wanted to clap my hands again. But seeing how Naaza had a frown on her face, I decide against it and ask her what's wrong. "Naaza-chan? Is there something wrong?"

Naaza shook her head. "No, it's nothing. I'm just annoyed that my arrows aren't going where I want them to."

"Well, we can't get back the skills that we've neglected in just a few tries, especially if you didn't use them in a while. Just keep shooting, you'll get back to your old level eventually. Don't worry, this idiot will stay by your side and keep your company." I encouraged her.

"At least you aren't denying that you're an idiot Nii-san." She replied with a soft smile.

"Well sadly for you, I'm an idiot that you're stuck with for life." I shot back with a smile of my own.

After that, we stayed in a comfortable silence as Naaza work to regain her lost skill with the bow. Time flew by with the sounds of arrows being fired as well as some of my commentaries to fill in the silence.

**-0-**

**Twang**

**Thud**

"God damn it." I muttered, staring at the arrow on the ground that had missed the target by a large margarine. I took another arrow our of my quiver and notch it on my bow before taking aim again.

A while ago, Naaza had finished completely familiarizing herself with her bow again. And by completely, I meant completely. Every shot she fired hit where she wanted it to hit. Not every shot hit precisely where she wanted it to of course, but they were close enough that it didn't matter.

By that point, she was already firing off her arrows rapidly like she's firing a pistol and I could only wonder if my little sister is also a prodigy with the bow as well.

Since she's already done with her practice, it was my turn. I stepped into the shooting zone with my own short bow and arrows; rented from the Training Hall for the measly price of 500 Valis since I don't have my own. Can't use Naaza's because it's specially made for her and I don't want to break it by accident. After that, Naaza gave me the basic Archery 101 for dummies as well as spending some time adjusting my posture before standing back to let me shoot.

According to my body clock, it had been approximately 1 hour since then and I can tell you that I haven't been able to hit the target even once since my turn started. Naaza stayed nearby to watch, interjecting with advice when she could and helping me with the stances but so far, still no improvement for me.

**Thwap**

**Thud**

"Ow! Fffffffffff-" I stopped myself from swearing out loud as I hop in place on one foot while holding onto the other one. Yes, that's right. Somehow, I managed to shoot myself in foot. Thankfully, the training arrows had their tips blunted to prevent idiots from accidentally shooting others or themselves, case in point here. The tip of the arrow had some kind of paint on to mark the places it had hit instead. "How is that even possible!?" I questioned to the Gods above while rubbing my poor abused foot.

"I-I don't know Nii-san. Maybe you w-were just unlucky. Don't give up hope though. I b-believe in you Nii-san." Thank you Naaza-chan, your Nii-san is very touched by your words but your encouragement kinda falls short when you're obviously struggling not to laugh at me. I look towards Naaza with a very blank stare and I saw that she had her lips pursed tightly into a thin line and her shoulders were shaking with mirth.

"Alright! One more try!" I announced and tried again.

**Twang**

The arrow was released with a whoosh. It flew straight and proper like it's suppose to, just not straight at where I wanted it to go. The arrow manage to hit one of the large rocks that's out in the field and rebound it back straight at me.

Against all odds, the arrow somehow flew right back and smack against my forehead, causing me to crouch down and cradle it while letting out a silent scream of frustration. Once the pain subsided, I stood back up and wipe the red mark off my forehead, my eye twitching in annoyance at the utter lack of progress that I've made. I glare at the target with enough intensity to kill a normal person if looks could kill.

This is so embarrassing. I wouldn't have this kind of problem if I were using a gun.

"I don't like the look of that wooden Goblin. Its smug aura mocks me."

"Snirk-"

I glace away from the target and look towards the source of the odd noise that I've just heard. There, I found that Naaza had already doubled over onto the floor while holding onto her stomach and is using one hand to keep her mouth shut.

"Oh ha hardy ha." I deadpanned and that was enough to break whatever restrain that Naaza had as she burst out chuckling. Once she got herself under control, she at least had the decency to look embarrassed as she got up from the floor. I simply smile at her before looking back at my target. I pull another arrow again and proceed to fire it.

**Twack**

**Thud**

"Oh hey!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Congratulations, Nii-san. You finally hit the target." Naaza clap her hands excitedly and I can tell from her tone that she's happy for me.

"Yeah, it only took me like, a hundred and seventeen tries to accomplish it." I said as I look at the red mark on the wooden target. The arrow struck at the furthest edge of the plank instead of Goblin painted on it but hey, at least I managed to hit it.

"You were keeping count?" Naaza asked with a surprised look.

"Yep." I simply replied. It's critical to be aware of your own ammo expenditure after all. That way you can avoid embarrassing clicks during a firefight. Still, the amount of times I had to go and collect my arrows during my practice was a massive pain in the butt for me.

"Well, I think that's enough for today." I said as I let my bow down to my side and I turn to look towards the wall where a clock was hanging. "It's getting pretty late already and I don't want to make Mama Mia angry by showing up late on my first day of reemployment."

"Okay." Naaza nodded without any complains and began storing her arrows into her quiver while I went to collect mine on the ground.

With everything picked up, I did a double check on my arrow count to see if I'm missing any since I'd need to pay for any arrows that I broke or lost. With everything in place, I went to the counter with Naaza to return the items before leaving the Training Hall.

We both walked out of the building and started heading down the street with me leading the way. While we were walking, I perked up when I heard some faint melody coming from somewhere that sounded very familiar. After looking around a bit, I found out that it was coming from Naaza. She was humming the lullaby that I would sing to herself with a faint smile on her face as she walked by my side.

It would seem that she had thoroughly enjoyed herself back there. I think watching me train in the way of the bow put her in a good mood. Maybe it's because we got closer somehow by using the same type of weapon? Or maybe, it's because I hit myself more often than the target. Probably the latter. "Today sure has been an interesting day. Did you have fun Naaza-chan?" I spoke up after listening to her hum for a while.

"Mnn." Naaza nodded and voice out her agreement happily. "How about you Nii-san? Did you enjoy your time there?"

"I guess so. It's frustrating that I couldn't hit anything but myself but I had fun since we got to practice together. At least we learned that I'm more of a danger to myself than I am to my enemies when I'm using a bow."

I heard Naaza let out a cute little snort before she attempt to suppress her giggles. "Are you going to stop trying to use the bow then, Nii-san?" She asked me with a look of concern after she got herself under control. "I'll understand if you want to stop practicing after experiencing something so discouraging." She told me, a bit of disappointment leaking into her voice as she did so.

"Course not. I'm not someone who does things half-way. If anything, my constant failures only got me more fired up. I'm going to keep on practicing until I can hit my targets with every shot like you. So until then, please keep on teaching me okay?" I told her with a grin and she smiled back at me and nodded.

"By the way Nii-san, where are we going?" She asked once she seem to realize that we're not taking the way back to our home.

"Hmm? Oh. I thought I should stop by the Guild for a bit since we're already close by. I need to inform my Advisor that I won't be entering the Dungeon for a while before I forget. You don't have to follow me if you don't want to Naaza-chan."

Naaza shook her head slightly. "It's alright, I'll follow you."

"You sure? I'm just dropping by for a bit and we'll be leaving immediately after." I told her and she nodded. "Ah well, suit yourself. Let's get going then." I gesture for her to follow and start walking towards the Guild.

**-0-**

**Orario-Guild**

**-0-**

"You went to the seventh Floor!? Without your party to boot!? How on earth can you do something so reckless Maris-san!?" Eina's voice rang out clear as day within the Guild's halls.

"I can handle myself just fine Eina-san." A girl's voice replied heatedly. "I'm plenty strong already so this much is a piece of cake for me."

"But still-"

You know, when I arrived at the Guild, I was expecting my trip here to be an easy one. All I wanted to do is to drop by Misha's desk, tell her that I won't be Dungeon diving for a while and head back home to prepare for my part-time job.

Turns out life has a better idea.

For some reason, we walked in just in time to catch Eina arguing about something with her assigned Adventurer, Maris Hackard. Again.

Maris is a young teenage girl with a thin frame and is slightly taller than me. She's got short blue hair and eyes of the same shade and is often seen donning her leather armor.

From what I can tell from the shouting I've heard, it's something about her entering a floor that she wasn't ready for yet. _Gee kiddo, d__on'__t you know you should__n't __recklessly enter a floor that you're not authorized to enter? They forbid you from going __there __for a reason ya know? _I thought to myself like the hypocrite that I am.

Ignoring their quarrel, I glace around the scene for a bit. By now, they had already attracted some attention from nearby Adventurers and everyone is watching the Guild drama unfold with varied amount of interest. No one's doing anything to stop them since Adventurers shouting at Guild employees is a regular occurrence. Some say it strengthen the bonds between them or something so they just let them shout at each other unless things get physical.

I also spotted Misha sitting on her spot next to Eina with a worried look on her face while the two girls argue with each other. I can see that Eina slowly losing her cool and professional demeanor and is getting more emotional in her responses.

The pink haired Advisor finally spotted me by chance and wave me over. Since I wanted to talk to her anyway, I decided to head on over. I wave back and started walk past a few staring Adventurers to her desk with Naaza following behind me.

Once there, I look at Misha with an amused smile on my face and since we're right next to Eina, we can hear them arguing just fine. "What's going on here?" I asked Misha while filtering out the shouting that's going on right next to my ear.

"Oh, you know, the usual." She told me with a wry laugh as she glance over to the side. "Maris did something she shouldn't and Eina scolded her for it, which in turn lead to Maris being defensive and started arguing back."

"Yes, I can tell from that much from their argument." I grinned at her before getting to the point of my visit. "Anyway, I'm here to tell you that I won't be entering the Dungeon for a while so don't freak out of I don't come over to the Guild for a few days."

It took a moment for Misha to process what I've said and she blinked in surprise. "What? How come?" She asked curiously.

"I'm on break right now. I've been charging into the Dungeon nonstop for half a year you know, a bit of rest now and then will do me some good." I told her, which is technically true. The only part I left out is that I was forced to go on break by my Familia.

"I see." Misha nodded in understanding. "You've been working very hard all this time so make sure to get plenty of rest so you don't burn yourself out okay?" She told me worryingly as her eyes shone with concern.

"Don't worry, I will." I reassured her with a grin and she gave me a dazzling smile in return.

"By the way, since you're already here..." Misha trailed off while tilting her head towards the arguing pair.

I raise my eyebrow in confusion, wondering just what it is that she wanted. She nods her head towards the two again and this time she gave me a meaningful look as well.

_Ah! I see….Misha was looking to me for help in dealing with those two._ I thought to myself as I gave her a thumbs up. I quickly turn my attention to the pair and started pondering on what I can do to resolve this situation.

The main reason why they're arguing is because Maris is upset that Eina thinks lowly of her strength, I think. Then, all I need to do is to encourage Maris right? With that in mind, I called out to the blue haired teen. "Hey Maris-san." At my call, she and Eina both turn to look at me, both looking confuse at my sudden interruption. "Git gud scrub!" I told her with a grin, using the age old traditional phrase used for encouraging rookies back in the day. Sadly, Maris didn't appreciate it as much and started to glare at me. I wonder what I did wrong?

Misha whack the back of my head with her clipboard. "That's not what I meant! I wanted you to defuse the situation, not pour oil onto it!" She complained to me.

"Well you should've been clearer. I don't speak head tilts you know." I replied with a satisfied smirk as I rub the back of my head.

Misha seem to gain a look of realization and she pointed a finger at me. "You did it on purpose!" She accused.

"Guilty. But hey, at least I stopped them from arguing." I laughed lightly before turning my attention back to the other two. "Seriously though, Maris-san, you shouldn't rush something like this. It's how rookies get themselves killed early on in their Adventurer career you know. Eina-san is only thinking about your safety and well-being when she told you that you shouldn't go there, so getting mad at her for caring about you is kind of mean of you." I told her but my words seem to not register with the peeved female as she look like she'd rather argue about it with me too.

Well shit, if the sensible approach isn't working then I suppose a bit of guilt tripping is my best option here. "Are you really going to push a friend away just because you don't like how they're worried about you?" I quickly interrupted her before she could say anything.

"Think about how Eina-san would feel when she got the news of your death. It'll hurt her to learn that you died and she'll mourn for you, thinking that it's her fault that you died. She'll have to deal with the guilt of failing you and blaming herself for your death. She'll be constantly plagued with the thoughts that maybe she could've done something different to prevent it and maybe you'll still be alive then." I'm laying it a bit thick here but from what I've learned from dealing with headstrong females, sometimes all out is the only way to get them to listen to you.

Maris visibly deflates a bit at my words so I guess I manage to get through her somehow. Yay, guilt trip for the win. Maris looked contemplative for a moment before she took a deep breath and turn to apologize to Eina. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you Eina-san." She muttered out as she bowed her head low.

Eina seem surprised that Maris would even listen to me and quickly reassured the girl that it's alright. "It's fine Maris-san. I'm just glad that you returned safe and sound so please, lift your head."

I turn to Misha and gave her a thumps up with a grin on my face. She responded with a thumps up of her own.

"I'm sorry if I sounded like I don't have any faith in your strength Maris-san." Eina gave an apology of her own and I saw that her ears lowered themselves a bit. "It's just that entering the seventh floor alone is pretty reckless. I'm sure you'll be able to handle it if you went with your party but not when you're alone. You are plenty strong already Maris-san. You're making progress much faster then most Adventurers who started out the same time as you." She praised the girl happily.

Eina's words cause Maris to pout with a bit of red flushing on her cheeks and she quickly look away from Eina's eyes.

Gasp! What's this!? Is Maris developing feelings for Eina? Am I witnessing the start of what would eventually become a relationship? Does Maris actually swing that way!? This is groundbreaking news! Go Maris! Strike while the iron is hot! I'm rooting for you! Ganbatte! Jokes aside, I'm glad that they manage to make up.

"So you say, but what about him." Maris pointed a finger at me after she recovered from Eina's praise. "We both registered at the same time but he already reached the eighth floor! The eighth! I read that it takes an average person about a year to be able to reach that point. What's more is that he's also going solo too."

Ah yes, I forgot to mention that we registered at the Guild together so that's why I'm so familiar with her. We met by chance in the Guild when I entered the building for the first time and she asked me if I knew where the registration is. I told her that I wanted to register as an Adventurer as well and that lead to us looking for the registration area and signing up together.

In all honesty, I didn't really think much about Maris back then since I thought she's just another face in the crowd who I'll never meet again. Who knew she'd turn out to be Eina's charge and we'll be meeting frequently.

"Well, for starters, Cain-san's stats met the requirements for that floor already." Misha decided to speak on my behalf after Maris' question. Yep, all my stats are within the required ranks for that floor after half of year of constantly pushing myself to the point of near collapse. "He's allowed to go there solo because he has a good head on his shoulders and won't do something recklessly stupid like charging into a floor he's not authorized to enter!" She proudly declares while I turn away and started coughing awkwardly.

_There's no way I can tell them that I've reached the 10__th__ floor already __and barely made it out alive__. _I thought to myself. Because of my actions, I just so happen to see that Naaza had a contemplative look on her. Our eyes met and a smile slowly start to form on her face. My eyes widen as I realized what she's thinking._The little __rascal __want__s__ to rat me out._

I place both my hands together in front of my face and started begging her silently not to with a pleading look on my face.

She simply held out her hand as if asking for a bribe.

"A dozen Jagamarukuns." I whisper to her.

She nodded happily and let her hand down, accepting my bribe and remain silent on what I had done yesterday. I sigh in relief and turn my attention back to the others. While our little under the table deal was going on, Maris and Misha was still busy discussing about me.

"How did he get so strong so fast anyway? Surely you can tell me something that can help me." Maris ask Misha in hopes of learning my secrets.

"Sorry, but I'm not allowed to share my Adventurer's secrets. We Guild employees are sworn to keep their charges' details to ourselves." Misha tutted at her smugly.

"Maris-san, you shouldn't be prying at other Adventurer's details like that." Eina chided her with a small smile on her face, glad that the topic has shifted to something lighter now.

Maris pouted at both of them before she gained a mischievous smile on her face. "Well, if I can't ask you two then I'll ask the guy himself." She said to them before turning to face me. "So Cain-san, can you please tell me how you manage to reach the eighth floor on your own?"

"My bullheaded stubbornness." I replied immediately with a deadpan. "I also don't take my enemies head on like you do, and there's also careful planning, traps and underhanded tactics to make my journey there easier while I grind endlessly to raise my stats."

Maris looked disheartened by my answer. "That's the complete opposite of how I do things." She noted.

"Well, not everyone does things the same way. We all have our own preferred method of doing things. You work best in a party while I work best while I'm on my own. The only thing I can tell you is to trust in your party and cover each other's backs and shortcomings. So long as you move slowly and steadily as a cohesive unit, you'll eventually reach the goal that you're after." I tried encouraging her, thinking back to my old squad of misfits and all the cool shit we managed to pull off together. I probably would've died a lot of times already if it weren't for those cunts. I hope that they're enjoying themselves, wherever they may be.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. They're great friends and all but I just don't like the feeling of being left behind by my rival you know. I really want to get stronger as soon as possible too."

"Rival? Who?" I asked in curiosity and was met with a pointed stare.

"Me?" I pointed to myself in confusion.

"Yes, you. Who else could it be." Maris rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"That's news to me. Since when did we become rivals?" I asked her and she looked hurt by my question.

"Right after we signed up of course! I told you that 'we may have signed up together but I'd be leaving you in the dust soon' didn't I?" She reminded me and I manage to recall that particular tidbit.

"That was a declaration of rivalry?" I asked her incredulously and she nodded seriously. "Sorry but I really wasn't paying much attention back then so I thought it was just some friendly parting words at the time. In my defense, I was more concern on how to earn a ton of Valis in the shortest amount of time back then." I informed her and she just drop her shoulders in defeat.

"Ugh, he never even considered me as a rival. Why am I getting so worked up for if that's the case?" I heard her mutter to herself, disheartened by recent revelations.

"Well, if it makes your feel any better, my growth phase had just ended since I've discovered a noticeable drop in my stat gain about a week ago so I won't be reaching any new floors anytime soon." I told her, hoping that it'll satisfy her somehow. "You're a spirited and headstrong girl, I'm sure you'll be able to catch up immediately if you put your mind into it." My words cause Maris to perk up and beam a smile at me.

"Yeah! You're right. I'll be able to beat you in no time so just you wait." She declared confidently.

"Maris! Are you done yet? We're heading out already." We all heard a girl call out from the distance and we all turn to look. There, we saw a guy and a girl both standing a bit away from where we are and the girl is waving to Maris.

Maris quickly wave back to them and bid us goodbye. "Well, my party is calling so I'll be leaving now. See you guys later. And Eina, I'm sorry again for shouting at you." She told us and ran off to meet up with her party.

I watch her leave before saying what's on my mind. "I seriously don't understand women." I muttered seriously as I wondered why they're so difficult to comprehend. Seriously, one moment they're angry and then one moment they're not before they suddenly turn sad for no reason. How are they capable of shifting through so many emotions in such a short amount of time? "Honestly, one of life's greatest mysteries. I wonder if I will be able to solve it one day?"

"Maybe you can start by trying to listen to them?" Misha offered.

"Truly, it's the biggest puzzle to baffle scholars from all eras. It might be difficult enough for whoever to crack the code to level up." I continued while ignoring Misha, causing the girls around me to roll their eyes.

"By the way Cain-san," Misha call out to me and I quirk my eyebrow at her, silently asking her what's up. "Have you checked the notice board yet?" She asked.

"No, why?"

"Well, the Guild posted something very shocking this morning so I think you should check it out."

"I see. Well, can't hurt to give it a look. I'll be right back then." I told her as I start to move to where the board is.

"I'll stay and talk to Flott-san for a bit." Naaza said to me as I walk away.

"Hm, okay then. Have fun you two." I briefly wondered just what Naaza wanted to talk with Misha about before turning my thoughts to the board that Misha mentioned.

I went over there and saw that there's some people gathered there already. I move past them easily enough with my secret market skill and reach the front and started looking the latest notice.

It didn't take me long to locate it and I started reading about it with my interest quickly growing with each sentence.

Oh. Oh my. Misha wasn't kidding, this is shocking news indeed.

To summarize everything that I've just read, it's news about the Rudra Familia and the one causing a ruckus around the city for a while.

After an attack that happened last night on one of Rudra Familia's home, the Ganesha Familia arrive to search the premise for any survivors and clues that might lead them to whoever attacked them. By doing so, they discovered that the Rudra Familia is part of Evilus from the evidences stored inside the building.

The notice warn Adventurers not to hunt down people from Rudra Familia themselves in order to maintain public order and is required to report to people from the Ganesha Familia or the Guild if they ever spotted anyone from the Rudra Familia or if they knew one of their hiding spots.

Well, it's a good thing that I killed that guy from before. Who knows what kind of trouble he'll stir up if he manage to survive. Then again, he did seem rather unstable at the time so he'll probably just fall into some mad obsession about something and die trying to achieve it or something.

It seems that the Guild had also revoked someone's status as an adventurer that goes by the named 'Gale Wind' and branded them as a fugitive with a hefty bounty on their head for causing a disturbance in the city by eliminating people from the Rudra Familia themselves.

My mind immediately flash back to the green blur that I saw last night and I wondered if it could be the same person.

I look at the bounty itself and frowned immediately. The information that I could find on the paper is scarce. In fact, it's pretty much empty save for the name, level, the Familia that the person belonged to and the bounty. There's not even a portrait of the person in question on it.

That by itself raises a big flag for me.

The guild keeps all information about Adventurers that registered with them in their archives. Someone like Gale Wind should've been registered or at least recorded in their archives due to their level alone but yet, there's almost nothing in regards to Gale written on the bounty.

_Hmm, the Astraea Familia huh…._I mulled over it thoughtfully before turning back to the receptionist area.

I saw Naaza and Misha were talking with each other rather happily there but I didn't pay attention to what they're saying. "Hey Misha." I spoke up when I stopped next to them, causing the two to jolt in surprise.

"Eeep! Cain-san! You surprised me." She said with a pitiful sounding whine as she place a hand over her heart and let out a sigh.

"Nii-san, you really need to start wearing a bell." Naaza complained, mostly because I've been scaring her a lot with my sudden appearances due to my stealth skill.

"Sorry about that." I said unapologetically with a smirk before getting to the point. "Misha-san, what can you tell me about the Astraea Familia." I asked her, completely serious and business like.

Misha blinked at my abrupt change in demeanor but smiled soon after. "He he, I knew you'd want to ask me that after reading the notice so I prepared the information beforehand just in case you ever drop by." She said proudly and procure a file from under her desk.

I nodded and retrieve it from her hands, grateful for her forethought as it saved me some time.

"Nii-san, is something wrong?" Naaza asked me in concern as I read through the file, eyes darting from line to line rapidly.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about Naaza-chan. Just want to make sure of something first before I come to a conclusion on what I've just discovered." I told her as I finish up on reading the file and memorizing it. "Thanks for this Misha-san." I gave the file back to the pinked haired girl. "This is everything about them yes?"

"Yep, everything I could find is right here." She replied and I went through the info in my head with a contemplating look on my face.

What Misha gave me was the Guild's public information on the Astraea Familia. That Familia's rank was at B before it's destruction and it had a total of eleven members, all of them- second- tier adventurers. The most noticeable achievement that they have on record is that they've reached the forty-first floor and cleared twenty-one floor bosses. They've also managed to apprehend a lot of criminals and destroy their organizations during the Dark ages without suffering a single casualty.

Bloody hell, these people all sounded monstrous.

There were also information about the members of the Familia and that's where I ran into another flag. There were a lot of info about them and their own personal achievements but the only thing missing from there was Gale's. There's not much information about this 'Gale Wind' to be found at all while the rest are fully detailed and fleshed out. The only thing about Gale there is the same as on the bounty, it's almost like the rest of her info was erased completely from record.

The black ops side of me is telling me that this is a cover up and I agree with it completely. The guild is covering for this 'Gale Wind' person and I'm not sure why. _Just what is the Guild up to?_

"Did you learn what you needed to Cain-san?" Misha asked me as she store the file away under her desk.

I nodded in response. "Yeah...Thanks again Misha-san, you were a great help."

She beamed at me happily and started scratching her cheek with her finger with an embarrassed flush on her face. "Ehehe, I'm just glad I could help."

"Well, with our business here finished, it's time for us to leave. I have somewhere I need to be after this. Goodbye Misha-san and you too Eina-san." I informed her and bid the two Advisors farewell.

I left the Guild with Naaza in tow and we both walk back home in relative silence. I was too busy thinking about what the Guild is up to to offer any meaningful conversation and Naaza knew not to bother me when I'm in deep thought. She seemed content to just be by my side and was humming the same tune as before while we walked.

**-0-**

**Orario- Blue Pharmacy**

**-0-**

When we got back, I spotted Miach sitting behind the counter. He welcomed us home with a bright smile on his face. "Ah, Cain, Naaza, welcome home you two."

""We're back."" we both replied as we split up to do our own thing.

"So, did you two have fun?" Miach asked curiously.

"Yep." I replied as I walk behind the counter next to Miach.

"Mnn." Naaza nodded happily as she went upstairs to store her bow and arrows.

"Glad to hear it." Miach chuckled a bit after see Naaza in such a cheerful state. "But you seemed to be troubled Cain-kun. Is something wrong?" He asked me in concern after seeing my expression.

I shook my head slightly as I started rummaging through the store shelves, earning a raised eyebrow from my God at what I'm doing. "Nothing much. Just something that I'm having trouble figuring out. It's nothing really." Even after all that pondering, I'm still unsure as to why the Guild did what they did. So the best I can do now is to wait and see since I can't really do anything about it. Well, so long as it doesn't affect my Familia, I don't see why I should bother with what the Guild is doing.

"By the way Miach-sama," I spoke up after finishing my inspection of the shelves. "There seem to be a few potions missing from the shelves but yet I don't see any money in the cash drawer." I inform him with smile that doesn't quite reach my eyes.

Miach's eyes widen at what he had heard and cold sweat began to pour from his brows. "Care to explain just why we're missing some potions O'Miach-sama?" My sickening sweet voice came from my mouth like thick honey but to Miach's ears, they sounded like a scythe being sharpened at a grinder, causing him to visibly blanch at my voice.

**-0-**

After reprimanding Miach and banning him from coffee for a few days, which cause him to despair at my diabolical punishment, I took a quick shower before changing my clothes to one that looked completely similar to the one I was wearing before. What? I only have sets of the same clothing since it was on sale.

With that done, I went to cook a quick dinner and set it aside for my Familia to eat when they want to.

I bid my them goodbye right afterwards while ignoring the sulking Miach sitting in a corner as I head over to my part time job. By now the sun is slowly setting and the streets were being filled with people returning from work and the Dungeon. The sky is getting very cloudy so I'm guessing it's going to rain soon as well.

I entered the pub from the back door and greeted the staffs there. "Sup." I waved to them as I walk through the door, causing the girls there to shoot back greetings on their own. They didn't stop to chat with me since customers are starting to come in and they need to start preparing the food and the ingredients or the orders will start piling up.

While they're working, I simply move to the changing room where the employees store their uniforms and change there. I promptly entered the room and went to my own little cupboard.

I opened it and took out my own special uniform. Since I've been working here for so long, Mia decided to give me my very own uniform that makes me look like a butler. She originally gave me a dress at first and that's when everyone found out that I'm a guy….anyway, my uniform consist of a white apron, a white long sleeve button up shirt along with black pants and shoes. It even comes with a black bow tie too. Bow ties are cool.

I took off my shirt and proceed to put the white shirt on. I was stopped from properly putting it on when I notice that I can't button them. I tried again more forcefully but failed to get the buttons to come together. "Aw man." I groaned as I took it off.

"What's wrong Cainnya?" I heard Anya ask me. I turn around and saw her behind me, still in the middle of buttoning her green dress.

"My uniform doesn't fit anymore." I complained in dejection as I held up the shirt for her to see.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that a few of the girls are still in the middle of changing here. Do I care? Not really. Do they care? Nope. We've been changing together since I was a kid and my sex drive had died a long time ago, so I don't really feel anything when I see them changing. They seem to know that I don't see them that way even as I grew up and just accepted that I'm a weird kid and rolled with it.

"It's normal isn't it? Cainya is still a growing guy after all nya." Anya told me with a confused tilt of her head as she put on her red tie.

"I guess so. But still, having a uniform makes me feel like I'm part of the family." I pouted as I put the shirt back into the cupboard.

"Aww, don't worry nya. We all see you as part of the family even without the uniform so don't feel down nya." Anya patted me in the back comfortingly and the rest of the girls still in the room all voiced their agreement.

"I still wanna wearing a cool looking uniform though." I muttered in discontent. Think of the cool bow ties that I won't be wearing.

"I see nya….wait! I have an idea nya!" Anya said before running off to the side in a hurry. I chose to ignored her in favor of putting on my shirt and when I'm done, I heard Anya came back. "Here you go Cainya! Put this on instead nya." I heard Anya say, followed by some giggling from the rest of the girls. I turn around to look at what she has with a confused expression on my face. That confusion soon turned into one of disgust when I saw what it is that Anya is holding.

"Stop trying to put me in a dress Nyanya!" I cried out while glaring at the green dress with absolute loathing in my eyes, causing the girls around me to burst out into fits of giggles.

"But Cainya would look great in a dress nya. You still have a cute face right now so let's not waste this chance before you're fully grown up nya." Anya replied excitedly with stars shinning in her eyes as she tries to push the dress onto me.

"I'm not cute, I'm manly god damnit!" I shouted as I dodge her and ran out of the room in shame while the rest of the girls have laugh in amusement at our byplay.

**-0-**

After what had transpired in the changing room, things went along as normal. I worked and did my part at the pub. I would work as a chief as needed or shift my role to a waiter if the front is being overwhelmed. With my help, the workload has been lighten in both areas and everyone is grateful for it.

Right now, I'm manning the front, helping Syr and Anya. As I was collecting dishes from empty tables with deft hands, I heard something crash in the kitchen that is followed by some shouting.

"You stupid cat! Look at what you've done!" Mia's voice came thundering through.

"Munya! I'm so sorry nya!" Anya's voice followed, sounding utterly terrified of Mia's wrath.

I would say that I feel sorry for her, but she did insult my masculinity not long ago so yeah, she deserves it.

After listening to a bit of scolding and crying that's followed by a loud thunk, Mia came out of the kitchen, looking none to happy about what had happened and beckons me and Syr over. We both move to her without missing a beat, not wanting her wrath to be transferred over to us.

"Right, here's what I need you two to do. Because of a certain someone, we lost a pot of stew that I had been working on. I would remake it but the ingredients needed for it are out so I need you two to go and buy them quickly. Am I understood?"

""Yes, Mama Mia."" We both replied dutifully.

Mia nodded and handed Syr a piece of paper that had the things we need to buy written on them. "Good. The shop that we frequent should still be open at this time but it won't be for long so you two need to hop to it. Cain, you're the man here so I expect you to do your part as a gentlemen alright?" She told me while giving me a meaningful look.

Translated: Protect Syr from any danger because of what's happening in Orario lately.

While I could've finish this task quicker on my own, I won't be able to get as much of a discount as Syr would have with her wily charms. An entire pot of stew can sell for a lot of due to it's many servings so saving money is the goal here.

I nodded with a serious look on my face and started moving to the kitchen. "Come on Syr-chan, we need to move fast before the shop closes." I said as I took off my apron.

"Ah! Coming!" She quickly follows as she took off hers.

Ignoring the sight of Anya laying on the ground with a still smoking bump on her head, I walk through the kitchen and went into the changing room. Once there, I open my cupboard and put the apron inside. Then, I took out my item pouch and dagger that I had stored in there beforehand.

I tie the pouch onto my waist and strap the dagger on my forearm under my sleeve. That way, it can remain conceal from sight to let people assume that I'm unarmed. If any ruffians decided to have a go at me, I can pop the blade out Assassin's Creed style and be ready for any engagement instantly.

Once I'm done, I exited the room and move towards the backdoor. I took a pair of brown waterproof ponchos hanging on a rack next to the exit and handed one to Syr as she came over.

"Hmm? Are we going to need them Cain-san?" she asked curiously as she took it from my hand.

"I'm not sure but it's better to be safe than sorry since the sky was filled with dark clouds when I was coming over to work." I informed her and she nodded. I kept my poncho hanging over my shoulder and opened the door for Syr, bowing my head down and gesturing towards the door with my free hand. "Well, ladies first."

Syr giggled and step outside with a skip in her steps. "My, what a gentleman you are Cain-san."

"Of course I am, Mama Mia would have my hide if I wasn't." I grinned as I followed her and close the door before we both started running towards the market place.

**-0-**

The sky is crying. That's the impression that I'm getting when I'm being pelted by the rain.

We had already finish our impromptu shopping trip when the sky decided that it had just finish reading the latest tearjerker and started bawling down on us.

We were running down the street back to the pub while I keep my pace the same as Syr's since she's slower than me. I'm currently holding onto a brown bag filled with ingredients and I'm keeping them dry by placing them near my chest and using my poncho as a shield.

"And this is why you always bring a cloak of some sort with you when you're not sure if it's going to rain or not." I muttered before letting out a sigh, feeling annoyed that the cuffs of my pants are now soaked and uncomfortably sticking against my skin.

"Over here Cain-san. I know a shortcut." Syr told me and suddenly change directions towards the nearby alley.

"Really? Wait, is this a legit shortcut or one of those shortcuts that is actually the longer route because you wanted to sight see?" I ask her while following her into it, keeping my senses alert and ready since we're entering a dark and shady area.

"Mou, Cain-san, I know when not to play around you know." Syr told me with a small pout. "This is a real one, trust me." She assured me and I nodded.

We both continue to run down the alley with Syr leading me, taking multiple turns that would no doubt confuse someone who's not used to navigating complex alleyways. Just as we reached a particular spot, my eyes spotted something in the dark in front of us. I quickly move ahead of Syr and put my hand out in front of her to bar her path. She pull to a stop with a skid, almost tripping over because of the wet ground and collided with my arm with a faint 'oof'. She look at me with a puzzled look while I kept my focus ahead of us.

"Cain-san? What is it?" She asked me in curiosity.

"There's something up ahead." I told her, voice cold and tense while readying for trouble. My tone seem to clue Syr in that I'm not joking around and she look to the front apprehensively.

I let my hand down and reach towards my pouch. I search through it for a bit and pulled out a small glass sphere with a small needle sticking out of it and a small shard of magic stone inside.

"What's that Cain-san?" Syr asked me as she saw what I'm holding.

"A flare." I answer her question while getting ready to throw it ahead.

"I've never heard of it before, what does it do?"

"Of course you haven't, this is still a work in progress after all. It's not like I go around announcing everything I make you know. Anyway, just wait and see." Little known fact, you can turn magic stones into an improvised flare provided you know how to.

I discovered this by chance when I crack a stone accidentally when I was trying to remove it from a monster. There was a flash of light before the stone disintegrates along with the monster and it made me wondered.

After that I began to experiment to the smallest shards and found out that they all produce that kind of light when cracked, not destroyed.

The magic energy from the stone will leak out of the crack, resulting in the light that I saw; how bright the light depends on the quality of the stone. Obviously, the light doesn't last very long, not even a second to be honest, as the energy dispersed into the air.

So I thought to myself, what if I can stop it from dispersing?

And thus, that discovery lead to the creation of an improvised flare. The glass sphere will keep the energy from dispersing too quickly and letting the light to shine through while the needle is there to crack the stone within when I press it in. Simple design, but effective as it had proven itself to be while I was exploring in the Dungeon.

I press the needle in with my thumb and it pierce through the stone within, letting the energy stored inside the stone out and light up the sphere with a faint light.

"Oh, so that's what it does." Syr commented in surprise at the light in my hand.

I toss the sphere ahead and it bounce on the floor once or twice before rolling forward. As it did so, it also illuminate the area around it in a small radius. The flare keep on rolling until it's light manage to revealed a figure laying on the ground.

"It's a person." I observed, examining the figure with a cautious eye as I let my combat trace take over.

Small, lithe frame, obviously female and covered in blood. Wounded? Possibly, but not certain. Laying as bait with companions nearby maybe? I scan over the roofs and the immediate area for any signs of people laying in ambush but found none so far.

As I was contemplating on what to do, Syr finally saw the person and gasped. "Cain-san, someone's hurt!" She exclaimed as she ran ahead.

"Syr! Get back here!" I warned her but she ignored me and went towards the potentially dangerous individual's side and I quickly followed. Damn that girl and her lack of danger awareness!

I pull out my dagger just as Syr kneel down beside the girl and stop just behind her, body tensed and ready to act if the downed girl decides to do something.

"Are you alright?" Syr asked the girl as she her held onto the girl's hand. There was a slight shift of the girl's head as she look up to Syr but she didn't respond and she slowly closes her eyes. I can see that the girl had already lost conscious.

Now that she's not going to be a threat of any kind, I sheath my dagger away and took the chance to examine the girl more closely.

Now that I'm nearer, I can tell that she's an elf due to her long, pointy ears. When I look at her face, I can only describe her as an ethereal beauty. With her pale white skin and delicate features, I might mistake her for a fairy it wasn't for the blood and grime covering her. Right now she's wearing a green cloak, white sleeveless shirt, green shorts and brown long boots. There's pair of short swords strapped onto her sides and a wooden sword laying beside her.

My eyes widen slightly in recognition as the green blur from last night came to mind as well as the information I got from the Guild about a certain Adventurer on a killing spree. It would certainly match all the green equipment that the girl has on her.

"Syr, we should leave and forget what we saw. Like, right now." I recommended tensely as the flare finally died out, leaving us in the dark once more. Preferably before anyone comes to finish this girl off and think we're also related to her. I don't think I can fight them off considering that this girl is a level 4 and heavily wounded. If someone can do this much damage to her then I'm as good as dead when facing them.

"You're going to leave her?! You can't Cain-san, we need to save her." Syr seemed appalled by my suggestion and I frowned. Syr is the most perspicacious person that I know and I trust her judgment on other people's character impeccably. If she tells you to be careful around someone even though they are perfectly normal, then you best have a knife at the ready just in case they ever try anything.

Seeing that Syr wanted to save this girl, she must've seen the good in her during their short interaction and wanted to save her. Then again, Gale Wind is from the Astraea Familia, a Familia whose main purpose is to keep the peace and serve justice so it goes without saying that Gale is a good person.

But even so, Gale is now a fugitive with a large bounty on her head. As much as I am thankful for everything that they have done, I'm simply not strong enough to protect anyone right now if someone stronger than me shows up. In the end, the safety of Syr takes priority here.

"Possibly? Look Syr, we have no idea who this is and whoever hurt her this badly might come after us if we decide to get involve." I informed her.

Syr frowned as she looked down at the hand that she's been holding. A brief moment passed before she spoke again. "You leave me no choice then." I heard her say and a sense of dread seem to fill me.

She immediately look back up at me and I was immediately assaulted by a pair of bright silver puppy dog eyes.

"Urgh." I let out as if I had been physically assaulted and took a step back. Oh no. Cute things, my only weakness.

I tried to fight the desire to want to appease those eyes of hers but as always, I failed and my resistance crumbled like wet tissue paper within a moment. I sigh and relented. "One of these days Syr, you're going to bite off more than you can chew." I said as I shook my head and the girl gave me a bright smile in return. Damn that girl and her wily charms.

I move and kneel over beside the unconscious girl and did a quick check up on her wounds. Hmm, the most notable wounds are the large lacerations on her sides and the injures on her arms. She should survive so long as I stop the bleeding first and I can check on the rest of her wounds later.

Just to be on the safe side, I should disarm her first before I do anything else.

I handed the groceries that I'm carrying to Syr as well as the wooden sword on the ground. I remove the pair of short swords from Gale and tie them next to my item pouch and proceed to pick the unconscious girl up in a princess carry. I adjust myself and move my poncho over to cover the girl to protect her from the rain. "Come on Syr, we need to hurry before she bleeds out." I told her, absentmindedly thinking about cold the elf's skin is to the touch and how light she is as I started running back to the pub. I move carefully and steadily, keeping my hold on the girl firm yet gentle so I won't aggravate her wounds further by moving her around carelessly.

"Okay! I'll be right behind you Cain-san." Syr told me happily as she followed. We both ran down the alley with the sound of Syr's splashing footsteps accompanying us on our journey back to the pub.

**-0-**

**AN: Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.**

**By the way, the next chapter might come out in 3-4 weeks. Strong emphasis on might. It might take longer or it might not, who knows. Because of that, this chapter is extra long to make up for the wait time.**

**As for why, Warframe is getting some new Primes. I'd like to farm them first before I start working on the next chapter and that might take a while. 3-4 weeks is my shortest estimated time needed to get everything done.**

**RNGesus and Lootcifer willing, I might be able to get all of them within a few days and can go back to writing sooner but we'll see.**

**If any of you are Warframe players, I wish you the best of luck on getting those new Primes. If any of you wish to add me to your friend's list, my game name is the same as this one so feel free to add me. Maybe we'll meet out in the Grindfields one of these days. XD**


	5. Chapter 5

**-0-**

**Orario- Hostess Of Fertility**

**-0-**

Syr opened the door for me and I immediately barge in, my mind solely focusing on keeping this elf alive and nothing else. I went through what I know about treating wounded people in my mind and proceeded to plan accordingly. I'm also beginning to wish that I had payed attention to Miach back when he was teaching me about the art of healing. Looks like I'll be relying on what I've learned on the battlefield instead. I can only hope my knowledge is enough to keep this girl alive.

_Ah well, when in doubt, just dose the patient in potions. __Let's just hope we have enough __on hand __to close her the wound on her side. _I thought to myself grimly as I shrug the poncho off me and let it fall to the floor. I don't know the exact extent of her injuries as I had only check her over once in an area with poor lighting. But even there, I can tell that the wound on her side is the most grievous one she had suffered and it needs to be close immediately before she dies from blood lost.

I turn to face Syr and started telling her what I need her to do. "Syr, go drop the bag and find me a clean cot or sheet for me to lay her down." My words came out sharp and clear, leaving no room for anyone to misheard what I've said. Because of that, my words were also heard clearly by the nearby staffs of the pub.

They started coming out to see what the commotion is about while I quickly make my towards the stairs to make use of one of the empty bedrooms. I spotted May and Anya among them easily enough with the latter currently nursing a small pack of ice on her head. "May! Get me a basin of warm water and a clean cloth. Anya! Go grab the first aid kit!" I barked out to them and move on, not noticing how they immediately stiffen for a moment at my words before moving quickly to do what I told them to.

Once upstairs, I enter the nearest empty room and Syr quickly follows me in with a sheet of fresh cloth in her hands. She was considerate enough to turn on the light for me so I don't have to fumble around in the dark. The room that I found myself in is a very standard small bedroom for a single person most commonly found in an inn. There's a bed place against the wall near the window and a cupboard to store one's possessions in it on the other side.

"Spread it on the floor so I can set her down." I instructed her.

"But wouldn't it be better if you put her on the bed Cain-san?" Syr asked while doing what I asked.

"Unless you want to throw away the bed sheet and get a brand new mattress for Mia, I'd say no." I replied as I lay the elf down gently. Once that's done, I did the next obvious thing, taking off her clothes.

"C-c-c-Cain-san! What are you doing!?" Syr cried out in embarrassment, face blushing bright red as she witness me removing the elf's shirt and exposing her torso bare.

"Assessing her wounds." I answered her as I toss the shirt aside.

"But do you have to remove her clothes to do it?" She asked, hiding her face behind her hand and peeking through her finger.

I look at her with a quirked eyebrow. "Of course I do. How else am I going to check her wounds? Besides, I need to treat her as well so her shirt will just get in the way." I replied flatly, not really understanding why Syr is so flustered.

"O-oh. Right." Syr looked rather sheepish that I pointed something that obvious out for her. Now that I think about it, Syr is the only one who's too shy to change while I'm still in the changing room while the rest is perfectly alright with my presence. At her age, she probably still thinks that it's not alright for boys to see a girl naked. Ah, sweet innocence. Note to self, tell Anya to hide her smut better so Syr doesn't stumble upon it by accident like I did.

Speaking of which, Anya had arrive at the doorway with the first aid kit in hand. It was in the form of a small box with a small red cross plastered in the front. Great, now I finally have something to work with.

"Hey Cainya, I got the- Munya!? What are you doing to that poor defenseless girl Cainya!?" Anya cried out in shock as she take in the scene of me kneeling beside a half naked girl. "Could this be Cainya's real nature nya!? Had he been secretly hiding the beast within him all this time nya!?"

My eyebrow twitched slightly at the loud voice of hers. "I'm checking her wounds Nyanya, also shut up if have nothing helpful to say. You're only making things worse with your shouting." I told her calmly. "Syr-chan, take the kit from her and pass it over. Nyanya, stay outside. This room can barely fit the 3 of us already, I don't need you squeezing yourself in and making things worse by limiting space further." I told her while I check the girl's side.

"Damn, that's a very deep cut." I observed with a bit of worry leaking into my voice. It looks like a blade had dug deep into her side and she had forcefully pulled it out, creating a jagged wound lining the side of her stomach. Interestingly enough, the wound also looks like it had been healed somewhat already but was forced opened again.

Seems like the elf tried to heal herself but couldn't do so fully due to circumstances. I hope the first aid kit has enough potions to close it completely. Normal variants aren't going to cut it, I'll probably need a high potion to heal something this serious. What's more is that she's also very cold so I'll need to treat her quickly and warm her up so she doesn't get hypothermia.

"Oh whew. For a moment there I thought you were doing something else entirely nya." Anya replied with a relieved sigh as she handed the box over to Syr.

"You mean like the things written in your smut?" I shot back with a smirk, earning a shocked look from the catgirl as Syr pass me the first aid kit before standing to the side so I would have the space to work with. "You really shouldn't leave those things lying around like that Nyanya, who knows who will stumble onto them by accident." The smugness in my voice was almost palpable.

"It's not smut, it's art nya!" Anya was quick to defend her taste in literature, face red with embarrassment. "And just why were you touching my things without permission nya!?"

"What is smut?" Syr asked innocently.

"It's nothing nya! Syr should just pretend that she never heard of it nya!" Anya quickly replied, looking absolutely mortified.

"I wholeheartedly agree. In fact, let's all pretend that the conversation just now didn't happen." I said as I place the kit by my side and opened it. My words were ignored as Syr went on to ask Anya about what smut is so I chose to focus on treating the patient instead. Anya was looking at me for help but I only offered her a thumbs up to show my support and start taking stock of what I have to work with.

Let's see, plasters, safety pins, two regular potions, bandages, a suture kit, tape and- Oh great! They have a hematopoietic potion as well! It's also called a blood potion for those who aren't that medically savvy. This will come in handy in recovering some of the blood the elf had lost. Wait, this is all I have!?

I frowned in disappointment as I thought on my next course of action. I can't close the wound fully with just a regular potion. But there's two of them in here so it should be fine right? Right? Oh well, I'll just have to try and see for myself.

"Cain-kun! I brought the water that you wanted." I look at the corner of my eyes and saw that May was standing next to still blushing Anya who's desperately trying to deflect Syr's questions. May was holding onto a steaming wooden basin in her hand.

"Great! Syr-chan, put the basin aside for now. We'll need it when I'm done patching up the elf so you can clean her up with it."

"Ah, okay." Syr nodded and went to retrieve the basin from May while Anya sighed in relief. I pick up the potions from the kit and quickly uncork them. Then I pour them over the injured side of the elf one by one. One of the side benefits of potions is that not only will it heal your wounds, it also acts as a disinfectant so your wounds doesn't get infection.

"Will she be alright, Cain-san?" Syr asked me, worry present on her features as she keep her sight on the elf.

"I don't know." I answered her grimly. "I'm not a doctor Syr-chan so I can't tell if she'll survive or not. The best I can do is to close her wounds and hope for the best. The rest is entirely up to her."

"But didn't you learn how to treat people from Miach-san?" May asked, apparently decided to stay around just like Anya for some reason.

"That would imply that I have been paying attention to his lessons. Sadly, I have not. Ever. My knowledge and experiences regarding treating wounds all came from patching myself up. Since I've never been injured the same way as she has, I have no idea whether or not she'll be fine." I explained. While we were talking, I've been monitoring the elf's healing progress and I've realized that something was wrong right after dumping the second potion onto her. The potion barely did it's job at all.

When I poured it over her wound, it's suppose to fix her injuries by mending the flesh together or accelerate her healing speed. Naturally, the stronger the potion the less quantity you'll need to heal minor wounds and they'll also heal quicker. Since I used two normal potions, it should've fixed up most of the stab wound by now, but yet it didn't. I can see the wound visibly closing in on itself but not by a whole lot like it's suppose to. This isn't right; two potions should be enough to close a large gaping hole on a person's body.

I click my tongue and set the empty vials down, mind racing to think what could've cause the potion to be ineffective. "Nyanya, how long have the first aid kit been sitting around?" I asked her as my thoughts landed on a very plausible explanation.

"Hmm..." Anya press both her index fingers on the sides of her temples as she thinks real hard with her eyes closed. "I think we've got it for about a year or so nya." She replied, sounding uncertain in her answer.

I just sighed. Looks like my hunch was right. The potions are expired. Contrary to popular belief, potions do indeed expire. The reason why most people don't know that is because potions are used up so fast that people never have them for long to realize it. If they're left on the shelves for too long, their effectiveness will greatly diminished and they will eventually become useless and have to be thrown out.

The good news is that the potions I've used aren't that far gone yet as it manage to healed some of the elf's wound. Now it's not as deep as it used to be and I don't have to worry about any internal bleeding. Looks like I'll just have to stitch what's left of it close the old fashion way.

I pick up the suture kit and took what I need from it. Mostly just a needle and some threads. Even with it's effect diminished, the potion I had poured onto the girl will still take care of any bacteria so I don't have to worry about not sterilizing the needle or my hands. As I was working quickly on preparing for an impromptu surgery, the girls were watching my every move with curiosity and confusion plastered onto their faces.

"What are you doing now Cain-san? Shouldn't she be alright already since you used two potions?" Syr asked as she observe me tying the thread onto the needle.

I shook my head in reply. "It's no good. The potions are expired already so it wasn't enough to close the wound on her side. I'll have to pick up where the potion left off and hopefully seal the wound before she dies of blood lost." I explain to her as I began sticking the very sharp needle into the side of the patient, causing Syr to flinch and grimace. While Syr is looking a bit squeamish at the sight of me sticking sharp and pointy things into the girl, the other two are fine with it since they've seen their fair share of wounds back when they were still Adventurers themselves.

"Erm, Cain-kun, do you have any experience in stitching wounds?" May asked in concern. "You've said it yourself that you haven't paid attention to any of Miach-san's lessons right? Maybe you should let someone else do this instead." May's voice and expression both indicates that she's very worried for the elf's well being, which is very understandable as she, nor the rest, had ever seen me treat other people before. That's mainly because I never had so I don't know squat about treating other people. But still, I can try right?

"Of course I do. Stitching wounds is what I'm most experienced in. But since you're asking, do any of you here have experience in treating wounded people?" I ask the girls, utilizing my ability to multitask to keep track of the conversation and closing the elf's wound as fast as I can.

All three girls raised their hands after my question.

"That doesn't involve pouring just potions onto their injuries." I added.

Anya and May lowered theirs.

"And isn't just limited to bruises and small cuts." I added again.

Syr lowered hers.

Well, shit. I can't ask them for advise on this then. Looks like I'll just have to wing it. I offered them what I hope to be a confident smile. "Well there you have it. Since I'm the only one present who has the most experience in stitching wounds, mostly my owns, I'm the one who has to do this. It shouldn't be that different when doing it to someone else right?" I hope.

"I dunno…" May trailed off with uncertainty as she observe my work with a clinical eye. "What if you messed up?"

"O ye of little faith. Look, unless you all have some kind of hidden stash of high quality potions around here, she's not going to get any better unless we can stop the bleeding. Now shut up and let me work. I may not look like it but I'm easily distracted when my life is not in mortal peril." With my piece said, the girls actually quiet down for once and allowed me to work in peace.

The entire procedure took about 10 minutes but I managed to seal her wound just fine. Turns out it's exactly the same as stitching yourself, only a lot more easier. "Okay, I'm done." I informed the girls as I set everything aside, hearing sighs of relief coming from them. She won't bleed to death now so I can focus on the rest of her injuries.

I check her body properly this time and found that the only place that is badly hurt other than her side is her arms. It looks to me like she had been using them to block attacks recklessly. It's almost like she didn't care for her own well being at all, sacrificing her arms just so she could get to her target.

Ah well, with this kind of injury all you need to do is to bandage it up and let it heal normally. She'll be perfectly fine once I finish bandaging her up and feed her the blood potion to help her get back some of the blood that she had lost. Even in it's diminished state, the blood potion can still restore some blood. "Syr, get the water over here so I can clean her wounds and bandage her."

"So she's going to be alright now Cain-san?" Syr asked me with a hopeful expression on her face as she went to get what I ask of her.

I merely shrugged. "Well she won't die from blood lost, I can guarantee you that much at least." I answered her as I accept the wooden basin from her hands. I got to work on cleaning the blood and dirt from her wounds before I begin bandaging her side and her arms. "But still, there's always a chance that she'll somehow choke in her own saliva in her sleep and suffocate to death so I wouldn't be so sure of her survival just yet." I joked.

"Erm..." Syr looked rather uncertain on what to say upon hearing that.

I sighed in response. "Never mind, just a bad joke. She's not going to die Syr so you can relax. Unless someone comes into her room and finish her off, she's going to wake up in a few days or so." I reassured the girl and finish up with bandaging the elf's wounds. "By the way, May-san, can you go and get another basin of water and cloth. We need to clean the girl up and the other one is already bloody."

"Ah, okay. I'll be right back." May said as she hurried off.

I watch her go before turning to Anya. "Nyanya, since you're still here, go see if you can find some clothes for Syr's guest." I requested and the catgirl nodded before walking away. With both my casual observers gone, I toss the rest of the bandages into the kit and pick up the blood potion. I held it in my hand, wondering just how am I going to feed this thing to the elf. It has to be ingested or it won't work at all.

_Is it even safe to give an unconscious person something to drink?_ I thought to myself as I ponder the risk of just pouring it down her throat. Would it be safer if I just let her recover normally? No, she's a wanted person. The longer she stayed unconscious, the longer she won't be able to defend herself. I'm not certain if we were seen or not when we were transporting her back to the pub but let's assume that we were just to be on the safe side.

If that's the case then we have at least a day before the information gets relayed to those in position of power and influence that wanted her dead. The Hostess of Fertility has Mia as it's guardian and people are smart enough to know not to make a move while she's around. But there's always people who don't know of Mia's reputation to consider. They might get hired by those people to try and finish off Gale while she's still weaken. So in short, the sooner the Elf wakes up the better. That way, she can recover her strength more quickly by eating and resting properly.

I sigh and uncork the potion.I shove my arm underneath the elf's back and prop her up gently. Her limp body was leaning against mine and her head was resting on my shoulder. I had to use my other hand to tilt her head upwards a bit so I can administer the potion more easily. I press the top of the vial on her slightly parted lips and tilt it over carefully, feeling a bit of worry that the potion will just spill out.

The liquid went into her mouth smoothly, spilling only a bit as the liquid trails down from the edge of her lip. I watch as the Elf's body reflexively swallow the liquid and I allow myself to relax.

Oh thank god she can still drink. If worse comes to worst I'll have to administer the potion via mouth to mouth and I don't think I can survive that. Elves are very uptight about being touched and I've already touched this one in particular a lot already, and without her permission to boot.

I saw some of color slowly returning to her skin as the potion did it's job and I set her down slowly. I gesture for Syr to come over before I start putting everything away back into the first aid kit. "Alright, I've done all I could so the rest is up to your now Syr-chan. All we need to do now is to clean her up, give her something clean to wear, put her on the bed and let her recover. I can guess that she wouldn't want a guy to be the one to bath her so I'll leave the cleaning up part to you. I'll just transport her to the bed once you're done."

"Right, leave it to me." Syr nodded resolutely and May returned just in time with a new basin of water.

"I'm back!" May announced and Syr quickly went to take the basin from her.

With the basin in hand, Syr turn to me with a polite smile. "Cain-san, can you please wait outside until I'm done?" She requested.

"Why?" I asked, confused as I stood up with the first aid kit in hand.

"Because I'm going to be cleaning a lady and it's improper for you to stay. Boys shouldn't peep on girls when they're changing or bathing you know." She explained with a stern look on her face.

"Really? But I used to bath with Naaza all the time though." I pointed out.

"Mou, Cain-san! I know you're trying to rile me up on purpose." Syr pouted cutely at me in an annoyed manner and I merely grin in return. She cradle the basin in front of her chest with one arm and use her other hand to start pushing me towards the door. "Out! Now! I'll let you back in once I'm done." She tried to look intimidating as she told me that but with her short stature and pouty face, all she manage to do is look like an angry kitten.

"Alright, alright. I'll leave you to it then." I chucked a bit as I walk out to join May outside. I was about to close the door when Anya appeared with a bundle of clothing in her hand.

"I'm back nya. I manage to find something but I'm not sure if it's her size nya. It might be a bit on the big side nya." Anya informed me as she showed me the bundle in her arms.

"Ah well, at least she won't be naked until her own clothes are washed and dried. Pass them on to Syr, I'd do it myself but I'm currently barred from entering right now." I jerk my head towards the door with a wry smile.

"Okay nya." Anya nodded and went to deliver the items.

Afterwards, the three of us just stood outside and waited, unsure about what will happen next.

I let out a sigh and rest my head against the wall I was leaning against with the first aid kit sitting right next to my feet. "Man, what a night. I thought taking a break from adventuring meant I would have less excitement in my life." First, I got attacked by a catguy and chased by the Justice Nut yesterday and today, I've stumbled upon a heavily injured elf that's been responsible for killing a lot of people recently. I'm actually rather afraid of what kind of problem I might encounter next. Maybe I should just stay indoors for a while just to be safe?

"Nya, now that everything's settled down, can you explain just why you two came back with an injured elf in tow nya?" Anya asked curiously as she stood near the door.

"Yeah, I thought you two were just going to buy some groceries." May pipped in from her spot next to me, eyes showing the same curiosity as Anya.

"We were. But then it started raining all of the sudden and Syr decided to take a shortcut which lead us straight to the elf, who was basically dying in an alley. Syr seems to think that she's a good person and wanted to save her so she employed some underhanded tactics to make me do her bidding which lead us to the present." I explained as simply as I could.

"I see..." May muttered as she tap the side of her chin with her index finger. "What do you think will happen next then?"

"I'm not sure yet... but the most predicable outcome is that Mama Mia will take the elf in. She'll complain about it but she'll do it anyway. That's just how she is after all." I said with a warm smile on my face and the other two just nodded with a look of fondness in their expressions.

"Well, I hope we can all get along then." May said with a small smile, talking as if the outcome of the elf's fate was already decided. "It's not always easy for newcomers but I'm sure we can help her settle in if we all pitch in to help her whenever we can." She paused for a bit and turn to look at me while emitting a small hum. "Not Cain-kun though. He should stay as far away from her as he can for the time being. I can already imagine the shame and indignity that she will feel once she learned that you've seen her naked. I don't think she will like you very much once she finds out about that." May commented as she shot me a cheeky grin.

I merely rolled my eyes at her in response. "As if I care about the feelings of people I don't know. Besides, I have a feeling that she'll dislike me on principle anyway. The way I see it, she can either be modest and bleed out, or she can embarrassed but alive. You two of all people should know best when it comes to this kind of thing. When in combat, modesty is the first thing you sacrifice. You don't have the luxury of caring about your wardrobe malfunction when someone is trying their hardest to remove your head from your shoulders." I told them, earning nods of understanding from the two girls. On a completely unrelated note, maybe I should ask Syr to take credit for treating the elf's wounds. You know, just to be on the safe side?

"By the way...you two did get permission to from Mama Mia to be here right?" I ask the girls as the thought suddenly came to mind.

Both girls suddenly froze and I shift my head from side to side to look at both of them. They both looked very scared and I have a feeling that I know just why. Just then, the sound of someone stomping angrily up the stairs was heard and the two girls suddenly jump up in fright and quickly move to hide behind my back, crouching down to keep a low profile. Sadly for them, I'm just a 14 year old teen that's still somewhat scrawny looking, so that meant they're still quite visible while hiding behind me. Doubly so since their butts are sticking out.

I look towards the stairs and as expected, Mia was slowly marching herself up with the visage of a demon looking for blood.

Safe to say that she isn't happy at all.

"So there's where you three have been!" She shouted when she spotted us and I could physically feel the flinch of the two terrified catgirls when they heard her voice. "What are all doing here!? Cain, you were suppose to be back long ago and where's Syr? And you two, you both sure have guts to run off to laze around when we're busy dealing with customers." Mia growled as she stop in front of me with a very displeased expression that's also silently demanding an explanation for our actions.

I turn my head to look over my shoulder and found that the catgirls seem to be in a petrified state due to their fear of Mia and is clinging onto my leg and using me like a shield. With both girls quivering behind me and unable to move, I decide to take it upon myself to explain what had transpired to Mia.

"Well, there's actually a good explanation for this-" I started but was interrupted when the door suddenly swing open and Syr pop out.

"Okay, I'm done- Mama Mia! Great, you're here already. I was just thinking of getting you." Syr said with a bright smile and gesture for us to enter the room.

Mia quirk a curious eyebrow and move to follow the gray haired girl in after giving us another glance. I contemplated on whether or not I should follow and I remembered that I still have to put the elf onto the bed so I ended up trailing behind Mia into the room.

Once inside, I can see that the Elf is now properly cleaned up and clothed in a simple shirt and short and her old clothes were discarded into a pile by the side. I turn to look at the two who were in here with me and saw that Syr was speaking to Mia about what had happened during our shopping trip.

Seeing that I'm not needed at this time, I simply went and pick the elf up and transfer her to the bed. Once I set her down, I pull the blanket up over her chest and move away to pick up the things on the ground.

I saw Mia moved from the corner of my eye and I turn my head slightly to watch what she's doing. She stood by the bedside and is examining the elf with a very serious expression. I noticed that she looks a lot less pissed now and is more concern with the matter at hand. Syr was standing next to her, looking at Mia expectantly and patiently waiting for her to pass her judgment. I heard some noises coming from outside and I look towards the door. I found May and Anya peeking in from the opened door, still too scared to make their presence known and draw Mia's attention.

"Cain." Mia called out to me and I quickly turn my attention back to her. She had her back turn to me, her attention never leaving the elf on the bed.

"Yes Mama Mia?" I replied, wondering if she needs something.

"What do you know about this girl and what do you think happened for her to end up this way?" I realize that she was asking for information on our new guest and I relay what I have on her in a clear and detailed manner.

"Subject name: Gale Wind, real name unknown. A Level Four from the Astraea Familia. Currently status is a fugitive with a high bounty on her head. Base on what I know of her actions, there's a high chance that she's a revenge mission against the Rudra Familia for wiping out the rest of her Familia. Based on what we've witness earlier, I'd say that she had succeeded in her mission but suffered a lot of injuries in the process." I explained, voice flat and expression serious.

At that, Mia turn her head to look at me with a quirk eyebrow. "Explain."

"There was a pillar of light shooting towards the sky not far from where we found the elf while we were returning; a god had been sent back to heaven and my best guess is that it's Rudra himself." I told her as I thought back to the sight then. It was certainly a surprise for both me and Syr when the sky suddenly lit up. Somehow, I have a feeling that it's not the last pillar of light that we'll will see.

"So that's what the commotion was about earlier." I heard Mia murmured and guessed that there was a ruckus when everyone saw that light.

"I've seen Gale's work before so I'm fairly confident that she can wipe out an entire Familia herself. Now that she's here and in the process of recovering, there's a fair chance that trouble will follow her. I'm not sure if we were seen or not while we were returning, but it's safer to assume that we had been. Best guess is that information is being relayed to those who wants her dealt with permanently right now."

Mia turn her attention back to the elf, looking like she's thinking hard on whether or not she should get rid of the elf to save ourselves the trouble. But Syr and I wasn't worried about that at all. We both know that Mia won't toss the elf out even with the potential trouble that she brings with her.

"Do you think we can help her Mama Mia?" Syr asked with an ever so hopeful look, pursing her lips and widening her eyes as she unleash her signature puppy dog eyes on the dwarf woman to speed up the process.

Mia let out a sigh scratch her head, looking defeated and can't be bothered to stop Syr from doing what she wants. I would know since it's a feeling that I'm well acquainted with. Syr was just smiling happily after seeing Mia's expression because she knows what her answer is. "Fine. We'll see what we can do." She told Syr before turning to face me. "You did well Cain. I'm not sure if I could treat her wound as well as you did." Mia praised me for my part in this.

"Oh don't sell yourself short. I'm sure you could brute force your way through by shoving a bunch of potions down her mouth." I replied.

"You know, if you had just call for me, I could've given you a high potion to use that I have stashed away."

Her words cause me to look at the bloody sheet that I have picked up in my hands and the reddish stain on the floor before turning to look at the elf who's sleeping with a peaceful expression on the bed. Then I shift my head to look at Mia before looking back at the elf. This action went back and forth for a few times before I drop the bloody sheet and facepalmed myself with both my hands.

"Argh! Why didn't I think of that earlier! Of course you would have high potions stashed around. I could've save myself so much trouble." I groaned, causing Syr to let out an amused giggle and Mia to smile at me. "So, have you decided on what are we going to do about Gale Wind, Mama Mia?" I ask Mia once I'm done lamenting about that.

"I'm going to work her ass off of course, what else do you think I'm going to do with her." Mia stated a matter of factly.

"Of course you are. Oh silly of me to expect anything less." I said with a wry chuckle. "Oh, by the way Syr-chan, there's something I need to tell you." I gesture for her to come over. The gray haired girl nodded with a look of curiosity and on her face and quickly move from the side of the bed and stood in front of me.

I took a moment to arrange my thoughts before I spoke my mind. "Syr, you need to think of some way to keep the elf from doing anything drastic. That girl... she most likely don't have any reason to keep on living." I said grimly as I thought about the Familia that she had lost and the things that she had done so far. "Her actions indicates that she doesn't care much for survival so long as she gets her revenge. Since she had already accomplish that, you can pretty much guess there's nothing left for her to live for. You're the only one I know that has the uncanny ability to get through to people so I'm entrusting this to you. I'll help if you need me to but don't expect much from me alright?"

Syr's eyes widen slightly and she settled with a soft smile that spoke volumes on how happy she is. "So you do care after all Cain-san."

I look away from those dazzling and optimistic eyes of hers in shame. "No, I don't." I told her. I just think just be a waste of resource if she commit suicide right after we save her. "Look, Syr, if you decide to save someone, you have to take responsibility for them till the very end. Since I've helped, that meant she's also my responsibility as well." I grumbled unhappily.

Syr's smile grew wider and she nodded. "Alright Cain-san. I'll do everything I can to help her and make sure that she doesn't throw her life away." She told me resolutely.

"Alright, we've wasted enough time already." Mia suddenly spoke up, causing the both of us to turn to her. "You three need to go back to work. Syr, you stay. We need to discuss what to do about your new friend first before we can continue. If what Cain said is true then we need to come up with a way to stop her from committing suicide when she wakes up." Mia orders.

""Yes, Mama Mia."" All four of us quickly comply and I quickly pick up all the dirty article on the floor and walk out of the room with haste. Syr and Mia stayed behind to discuss strategy on dealing with Gale Wind.

When I walk out of the room, the two catgirls were quick to step in line behind me and we all hurried back to our workplace.

"So, what do you plan on doing now Cainya? If what you said about that elf is true, then someone will eventually find out she's recovering here nya." Anya asked me while we were descending the stairs, first aid kit in hand.

"Hmmm." I hummed as I thought of what we can do keep our new guest safe. "Well, for starters, we can tell the rest of the girls to stay alert and keep an eye out for the time being. If they spot anyone suspicious tell them to inform me about them and I'll tail them when they leave the pub." I offered but May immediately shut that idea down.

"No! Absolutely not! Are you planning on dealing with them yourself Cain-kun!?" May ask me in alarm.

"What? Of course not. This is Gale Wind that we're talking about here. Whoever wants her dead would at least hire a level three or a four to do the job if they want to be successful. I can't do anything to those monsters you know. Sending someone who's lower level than that is just plan stupid and suicidal... no wait. Now that I think about it, there's actually plausible chance for that idea to succeed. They could start by hiring someone who they want to kill off like Gale to do the job, then they send can in a bunch of low level mooks to finish them off while they're tired from killing Gale. That way, the targets and most of the mooks will get killed off in the scuffle so they get to save money by paying the survivors only."

I quickly shook my head to get rid of my thoughts when I realize that I'm getting sidetracked again. "Anyway, you don't have to worry about me May-san. All I intent to do is to gather information about who we're dealing with. Stealth is my strong point so I'll be fine." I tried to reassure her.

"No means no Cain-kun! You aren't allowed to do something that dangerous. There's no need to put yourself in danger just for some information that might not even be useful." May scolded me with an angry scowl while poking at my side with her finger to drive her point in. Sadly for her, I'm not ticklish so I didn't react much other than the occasional twitch of my fingers.

"But reconnaissance is important May-san. I need all the information I can get if I want to plan against them."

"If they intent to start trouble here then we're more than capable to deal with them. There's really no need for you to go out of your way like that Cain-kun."

"I agree with May Nya. You can trust us to look after this place and our new friend Cainya so don't you worry about it and leave everything to us nya." Anya said, sounding completely confident that they'll be able to deal with any problem that pops up.

It looks like those two won't be deterred from keeping me out of harms way. I can very well sneak out on my own and do what I want but I know that they'll notice that I'm missing sooner or later. They'll figure out what I was doing and will be waiting for me to return, and they won't be happy. I dread to imagine what kind of punishment awaits me when that happens. Those two can get really creative with their punishments too. Ugh, why are all the women in my life so stubborn? "Alright, fine." I surrendered with a sigh, causing the two catgirl to smile happily.

"We'll just keep an eye out and prepare for any trouble to come then. If we're lucky, no one will know where Gale Wind is and assume her to be dead." I said monotonously, not believing my words for even a single second.

We're totally going to have to deal with assassins and bounty hunters in the future, I just know it.

**-0-**

**AN: Hey, surprise to see me? Yeah, I am too. Anyway, I finally got all my stuff not long ago so yay! But, they need to be build first so I have wait for it to finish building first before I can play with my new toys. So, I spent last three days sitting on my ass and pumping this out. It's not much as it only shows what happens afterwards and it's a lot shorter than I'd like.**

**I hope that it's enough for the time being.**

**Oh yeah, I've also got my hands on Code Vein. It's cool game. Very Anime like. Great character customization too. So great that I decided to try and create Cain with it XD. I've posted the link onto my profile so tell me what you think. I've always thought of him to look like Arash from F/GO, just without the tan, so I tried to make it as close as I can to what I have in mind.  
**

**With that said and done, I'm going to try out my new toys now. Ta ta.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh, don't mind me, just casually informing you guys that I'm currently experimenting with 3rd person pov for this chapter. Tell me what you guys think after you finish. Should I continue with it or go back to 1st person?**

**-0-**

**Orario- Blue Pharmacy**

**-0-**

***Knock* *Knock***

Cain's finger twitched slightly when he heard the faint knocking coming from the front door.

Right now he's currently seated at the dinner table with his Familia as they were in the middle of breakfast that he had prepared earlier. The sun was in the midst of rising, lighting up the world with it's light. It's as if it were telling Orario to wake up from it's slumber with it's incandescent radiance. The birds were wide awake and in the midst of having an epic rap battle right outside their window to add to the atmosphere.

After encountering a heavily injured Gale Wind in the middle of the alley and subsequently saving her and hiding her in the Hostess of Fertility, Cain has been somewhat….tensed.

No, tense isn't the right word to use. It's more like he's body and mind is in a constant state of alertness, ready to spring into action at any given moment just in case something were to happen, but just relaxed enough that it won't affect his daily life. He's been in this state for nearly two days now, just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

After all, you don't harbor a dangerous fugitive and expect that trouble wouldn't follow.

Frankly, he had been expecting his door to be kick down by a bunch of hooligans seeking the whereabouts of Gale Wind for a while now. It never happened….yet. He had even set some traps around the pharmacy for extra precaution too.

But when it became obvious that he was being a paranoid idiot and that no one is coming for him after waiting for an entire night, he removed them so no one accidentally steps on them. Honestly, he'd rather leave them in place but since there's a chance that his Familia or a customer might step on them by accident, they had to go.

He keep himself ready for a fight just in case though. Just because he's paranoid doesn't mean that the world isn't out to get him. It had proven itself to be his enemy before in the past after all.

Cain forces himself to relax before his Familia could pick up on his behavior and pretended to be curious at the knocking instead. "Oh? Who could it be this early in the morning?" Miach said, apparently having heard the knocking as Cain did. Naaza on the other hand, hadn't showed any reaction at all. Either that she didn't heard it or couldn't care less in her sleepy state. Considering that her race has superior hearing than Cain's, it's most likely the latter.

It also goes without saying that his Familia is made unaware of what had transpired that night. The less they know the better. Plausible deniability and all that.

"Good question. Just who could it be?" Cain let out in false curiosity. He look towards the clock on the wall and noted that it's barely six in the morning. He highly doubts that it's a customer as no one would come by this early to buy a potion.

Unless it's an emergency of course. In which case, they would be banging down the door and shouting for help instead of knocking politely. That leaves only two possibilities that he could think of right now. A) He was wrong about it not being a customer and they were well mannered enough to knock politely even when in an emergency. Or, B) Someone saw him carrying Gale away from the alley and tracked him down to find out where she is.

"I'll go get it." Cain offered quickly before Miach could and got up from his chair, his mind already working hard to think of scenarios just in case it turned into a fight right outside the front door. First and foremost is to lead the attacker away from his home so Naaza and Miach wouldn't be dragged into the fight. After that, well, he just hopes he has enough surprises in store to kill whoever it is before he or she could kill him.

"If it's the milkman, make sure he doesn't cheat you with spoiled milk. If it's a salesman, pretend you didn't see him." Naaza said sleepily, looking like she'd rather plant her face into her food than eat it with how she's barely sitting upright in her seat.

"I don't think any salesmen would work this early in the morning Naaza-chan." Cain replied with a small chuckle. "Also, drink your coffee before you bury your face in your food."

"Can't. Too hot." She muttered dishearteningly as she stared longingly at her still steaming cup of coffee.

_Ah, so she's learning after all._ Cain thought as he tried his best not to sound patronizing as he console her. "It's alright Naaza-chan, you can try blowing it to cool it down quicker." He told her, unable to keep the smirk off his face.

"I have a cup of very hot coffee and I'm not afraid to throw it." Naaza replied with a deadpan upon seeing Cain's smugness. Somehow he has a feeling that she's serious about it too. Sleepy Naaza can be scary sometimes.

"Please don't waste coffee like that Naaza. If you're unable to drink it then maybe you can give it to me instead?" Miach suggested with a hopeful expression as he eyed the mug of coffee on Naaza's side.

Naaza quickly drew her mug closer to her protectively. "No thanks. I'll be able to drink it once it cool off a bit." Naaza replied, eyeing our God with clear promise of swift retribution from her canines if he ever so touches her coffee.

Miach turns to look at Cain with a hopeful expression, silently asking him if he could finally release him from the curse of no caffeine that he had inflicted upon him. Cain however, didn't notice it at all as he had already left to greet whoever's at the door. Miach deflates with a sigh and went back to eating his breakfast with a gloomy air hanging around him.

The knocking came again while Cain was walking towards the door, his head going through the list of possibilities on who it could be on the other side.

Now that he had taken some time to think properly, he realized that it's entirely possible that the person outside might not be an enemy. There a chance that it could be someone he, Naaza or Miach knows instead. He knows for sure that it couldn't be his friends since they're either still asleep at this time or have things of their own to do in the morning. _Unless of course, something has came up and they came to get me knowing that I'd be awake at this time. _Cain's brows furrow in concern as he thought of that.

Cain's thoughts went to a certain elf that he had helped not long ago. _Could it be that she had finally woken up? _He mused. After seeing the state that her body was in, it wasn't surprising to learn that she fell into a coma so that her body could recuperate. There were concerns being voiced by the girls at the pub when the elf hadn't woken up after an entire day. But in the end, they realize that there's nothing they could really do except to wait and hope that the elf actually wakes up.

Cain let out a small sigh as he reached the door and pull out his dagger from his sleeve, holding it in a reverse grip in preparation to strike. Just because there's a chance that it couldn't be an enemy doesn't mean he shouldn't be prepared just in case it actually is. Why take the risk? He didn't survive for so long back in his old world by being so careless after all.

He uses his free hand to open the door just a tiny bit so he can see through the gap, bracing his feet against the floor just in case the person outside tried to knock the door open and send him flying.

As it turns out, all that preparation was utterly unneeded as the person standing on the other side of the door was someone that he recognize and definitely not a threat. Unless of course, it's someone who can disguise themselves as someone else.

_Damn it paranoia! Stop making things hard for me. _Cain thought as he sheath his dagger back to it's hiding spot. He open the door fully to greet the person outside with a wide smile. "Amid-san. Fancy seeing you here so early."

Standing right before Cain was none other than Naaza's friend/not friend and tutor in the mystical art of alchemy, Amid Teasanare, member of Dian Cecht Familia and currently a doctor in training.

Amid is a beautiful girl that's the same age as Cain with long silver hair and purple eyes. Her face is perfectly smooth and delicate, causing most people to describe her looks to be like an elaborate doll's, much to her embarrassment and dismay as many of the females in her Familia wanted to dress her up because of it. She's currently wearing a long purple one piece dress with long sleeves and a pair of brown boots. She's also holding onto a bag in her hand that she uses to bring the ingredients over for Naaza to practice with.

By the way, the members of Dian Cecht Familia also have their own work uniform to wear at their store. Since this is probably a casual visit, Amid's not wearing it right now.

"Musashi-san, good morning. I hope you don't mind me visiting this early." Amid greeted him with a small bow.

"No, not at all." Cain said, discreetly scanning the person before him for any signs of her being fake in a disguise. Nothing about her seemed off and his gut feeling hadn't warn him not to trust her or anything. Since he can't find anything wrong with the girl, he suppose she's in the clear. "Come on in then, you can tell me why you're at our doorstep at this hour once you're settled inside." Cain gesture for her to enter and move away from the door so she could come inside. After she did so, Cain peeked his head out the door for a moment and scanned the surroundings for anything suspicious. Finding none, he nodded to himself and lock the door behind him before leading Amid to where the rest of his Familia is at.

Upon reached the kitchen entrance, Amid saw that they were still in the middle of breakfast. "Ah! Did I arrive too early?" She said with a bit of an embarrass flush on her cheeks.

"It's fine. It's not like you can't be here or anything." Cain reassures her with a small chuckle. "By the way, have you eaten yet? I'll whip something up real quick if you haven't. We can't have you go hungry while you're in our humble adobe after all."

"There's no need for that, I've eaten already." Amid quickly informs him as she follows him into the kitchen.

"Oh, so it's Amid. Welcome, welcome. What brings you here so early in the morning? You usually drop by after nine." Miach asked the girl without any of his usual energy.

"Good morning Miach-san and thank you for having me. I'm here because Naaza-san asked me to come earlier during my next visit and told me that it would be alright to arrive at this hour."

"Oh ho? Any particular reason why my little sister would specifically request that?" Cain asked as he smirked at the girl in question. Naaza refuses to make eye contact with him and stared firmly at her plate while sipping her coffee silently.

"Impatience most likely. We were getting to an interesting part during our last lesson but ran out of time before we could go over it. Naaza-san became very upset because of that and asked if I could come earlier next time so we would have more time for our next lesson." Amid explained with a soft smile.

"I see….thanks for being so accommodating Amid-san. I know that Naaza-chan can be a real handful sometimes but I'm glad that she has you for a friend." Cain said, ignoring the low growl coming from the dining table.

"It's really not a bother. Naaza-san has been very good friend and I do rather enjoy the time that we've spent together." Amid said while offering me a slight smile. While not as proficient as Syr in reading others, Cain could at least tell that Amid actually meant what she had said based on how sincere she sounds.

Cain knows that she isn't the only one to feel that way too. Despite her complains, Naaza actually enjoys these little potion making sessions with Amid even though she hasn't specifically said anything. He could tell that much from watching them both getting excited over something when working together and debating feverishly about it.

Cain smiled and nodded, feeling glad that Amid is her friend. With her coming around whenever she could, he didn't have to worry about Naaza always being lonely while he's out. She didn't have much in the friend department because she rarely leaves the shop and the scant few that she did have rarely make time to visit her. "Well, take a seat. There's no need to stay standing while waiting for us to finish." Cain told Amid as he gesture for her to pick a chair.

Realizing that Amid is waiting for her to finish, Naaza started picking up the pace and began shoving food into her mouth so she could finish quicker. "Naaza-chan, don't rush. Take your time and chew properly so you don't choke." Cain chided her with a disapproving frown when he noticed what she was doing. "I'm sure Amid-san wouldn't mind waiting for a bit, right?" I ask the silver haired girl as she was pulling up a chair right next to Naaza.

"It's fine. I'm not in a rush or anything and I'd rather not be the cause of someone choking on their food if I could help it." Amid said as place her bag on the table and sat down, shooting Naaza a teasing smirk as she did so. Naaza glared at the silver haired girl but the angry look that she was going for was greatly diminished by how stuffed her cheeks are.

While this was going on, Cain positioned himself silently behind Amid. "Well then," he began, causing his guest to jerk slightly with a soft 'eep' because she wasn't expecting him to be behind her. "Since you're properly seated and all, I have a question of great importance to ask you, and I want you to answer it with your upmost honesty. Can you do that Amid?" Cain asked while staring into her eyes, dropping the honorific to convey the seriousness of the matter.

Still recovering from the fright Cain had given her, Amid wasn't all that prepared when he asked her his question. "Y-yes?" She replied with a small squeak, though her answer came out sounding more like a question instead.

"Coffee or Tea?" Cain asked her seriously, prompting Naaza to lift up one of her ears to pay attention to their conversation.

It took a moment for Amid to process what he had asked her but when she did, she gave the most eloquent of replies that he had ever heard from her. "Bwah?" She let out as she look at Cain with confusion plastered onto her expression.

"Coffee or tea, which one do you prefer to drink?" he ask her again, smirk slightly at the cute face that she's making.

"Erm, coffee?"

Cain's smile died at her answer and he started pouting slightly instead. Naaza was just smiling smugly at him, oozing an aura of superiority from her smugness. Amid was looking between both of them, confused as to what's going on while Miach is still gloomily eating his breakfast.

Cain shamble off towards the cupboard whilst hanging his head in defeat. He pick an unused cup reserved for guests and started pouring Amid her preferred drink. "So, how would you like your coffee Amid-san?"

"Ah! It's alright Musashi-san. There's no need to go out of your way to make me something to drink." Amid quickly said after finally realizing what his earlier question was for.

"Nonsense. You're our guest right now so it's only proper for us to serve you something to drink at the very least. Besides, I've already poured the coffee down, so if you refuse, I'll have to toss it down the sink and that would be a waste. So, sugar, milk, cream or do you prefer it as it is?"

Realizing that Cain isn't going to let her off without giving her a drink, she conceded reluctantly. "Milk please." She told him, her voice almost pouty.

"I want some coffee too." Cain heard Miach mutter sadly, sounding and looking like a man going through a withdrawal.

Cain sigh at the melancholy of his God's voice and pick his mug from the cupboard and proceeded to pour some for him too. He felt that Miach had been punished enough so there's no need to deny him his caffeine any longer.

Cain place their drinks in front of them. Amid accepted hers with a polite thank you while Miach was surprise to find Cain placing his mug in front of him. He stared at it for a moment as if he couldn't believe what he's seeing before he turn to Cain, looking as though he's asking him for permission.

Cain simply nodded and gesture for him to go ahead. Miach immediately guzzled the drink down in an instant. The only reason why he hasn't scorched his entire mouth and throat was because Cain had the foresight to drop a few ice cubes into it first to chill it. Miach lean his body back against his chair and his entire body visibly relaxes as he let out a content sigh. "Ah, sweet caffeine." He murmured with a look of absolute bliss on his face, looking lost to the world.

Cain decide to give him a moment to savor it and focus his attention elsewhere. He saw that Amid and Naaza had already began talking about potion ingredients and the many ways to use them. He honestly had no clue what they're talking about but they seem to be having fun so he decided to leave them alone while he finish up his food.

**-0-**

After finishing breakfast, Naaza was quick to clean up and place tableware into the sink. "I'm going to get everything ready. Nii-san, please help me wash the dishes. I'll return the favor by doing them tonight." She blurted out and ran off to the back of the shop. Cain merely quirked an amused eyebrow at Naaza's retreating figure before getting up from his seat and taking his stuff with him to the sink.

"So, what will you girls be making do today? You said you've reached an interesting part last time you were here so I'm guessing it has something to do with it right?" Cain ask Amid, who was still seated at the table while he started cleaning the dishes.

"Yes. I'm going to be teaching Naaza-san how to make a high potion today." Amid informed him.

"Ooo, a high potion. Going for the advance stuff already I see. That's pretty fast for only half a year of learning." Cain commented while feeling impressed by the speed of their progress. If he recalled correctly, high potions are something that requires a lot of skill and needs to be made with meticulous care. One small mistake would render it into something else entirely. Not exactly the cheapest thing to make either as all the ingredients needed are the high quality ones.

"Yes. Naaza has shown great promise when it comes to potion making." Amid said with a small smile.

"Heh. My little sister is pretty amazing isn't she? I'm really proud of her." Cain said with a bit of pride in his voice.

"Yes she is. It won't be long before she learns everything I have to offer." Amid replied naturally, causing Cain to frown slightly when he detected something off in her tone. Cain didn't know if he's just imagining it but Amid seemed kind of sad when she said that.

"Amid," Miach suddenly spoke up, causing both of them to look at him. "Even if you have nothing more to teach Naaza, you're still free to visit any time you want." He told her with a kind smile.

_Wait, c__ould it be that she __was__ thinking that __her time together with Naaza__would__ come to an end once she had taught Naaza everything that she knew? __Is that why she sounded so sad?_ Cain thought as he read into what Miach had said. His gaze flicker back to Amid, noting that she looked a bit surprised.

"I don't want to impose on you all anymore than I have to." Amid quickly replied, looking rather reluctant. From the way she had said it, it sounded like she didn't want to trouble us with her presence.

_Honestly this girl, she's just too __considerate__ even after being around us for so long._ Cain thought with another frown and began wondering if he should say something to help change her mind. She is Naaza's friend after all and he didn't want her to think that she's being a nuisance by being around. He also couldn't help but wonder if her reluctance stems from the fact that her God was the reason why their Familia is in such dire situation.

But to his pleasant surprise, he didn't have to say anything at all as someone else did it for him. "It's fine." Naaza said, having returned at some point and heard what they were talking about. "You can visit whenever you want, I don't mind at all and… I would miss you if you suddenly stopped coming." She muttered, trying to hide the blush appearing on her face by turning away. Amid look at Naaza with surprise etched on her features. Looks like she didn't expect her to say that at all and frankly, neither did Cain.

The surprised expression on Amid's face soon turn into one of happiness as she smiled at Naaza. "I see. Then I would be glad to come by even after I have nothing left to teach you." Somehow, she seemed just a bit more relaxed in Cain eyes.

"The workstation is ready so we can start at any time." Naaza said to Amid quickly in order to change the topic, still with a bit of redness on her cheeks. The silver haired girl nodded and stood up from her seat, taking her bag with her.

"They grow up so fast." Cain said to no one in particular with a sniffle as he pretend to wipe a tear from his eye. And to think that just a few months ago Naaza can't even stand being in the presence of Amid without a buffer known as Miach.

It was after long talks with the girl did they finally get her to see past the notion that Amid's from the Familia that ruined theirs. They talked about how she shouldn't hate someone from a certain Familia just because their god did something that warrant their displeasure. Hate the God, not his followers as Cain would say, unless they did something to make you hate them too of course. It took a lot of convincing but it was worth it to see these two getting along so well now.

"Indeed they do." Miach replied with a warm smile. "Well then, I think it's about time for me to open the shop." He said as he stood up from his seat with his 4th cup of coffee in hand. "You girls have fun, and don't make too much of a mess alright?" He told them as he walk out of the kitchen.

"Yes Miach-sama." Naaza replied with a small nod as she watch him go.

"We'll be sure to clean up afterwards Miach-san." Amid told the God respectfully before walking towards where Naaza is waiting.

"Well then, since you two are going to be busy for the whole day, I guess we won't be spending time together today like we've planned right?" Cain said as he return his attention to the dishes.

"Ah! That's right…." Naaza muttered out in realization, sounding a bit concern and disappointed.

"Could it be that you both had other plans in mind for today?" Amid asked.

"We do actually. But we can do that any other day so you don't have to worry about anything Amid-san. I'm sure I can find something to keep myself entertained, so go have fun don't worry about little ol' me."

"Okay." Naaza nodded but still looked a bit uneasy. "Please remember to keep out of trouble as well Nii-san." Naaza reminded him.

Cain pretended not to hear that and continued on with his work.

After a moment of silence from the male, Naaza realized that he's ignoring her. "Nii-san." Naaza's voice came out warningly.

"Hmm? Did you say something Naaza-chan?" Cain questioned innocently, turning his head around to look at her with a smirk on his face.

"Don't make me bring out the water spray." She threatened.

"You wouldn't!" Cain gasped in horror.

"You know I would." Naaza narrow her eyes at him, taking out a small bottle of water spray that she kept hidden around somewhere for times like these. To this day, Cain still has no idea where she hides them. He's been trying to find them for months but never had any luck in locating them.

"Fine~ Nii-san promise not to get himself into any trouble." Cain told her with a fake sniffle. What he left unsaid was that trouble might find him instead. With how his luck has been recently, he wouldn't be surprised if it actually did.

"A water spray?" Amid asked incredulously.

"Yes, a water spray. Amid-san, if you ever find yourself alone with Nii-san for whatever reason and he's being childish or starts misbehaving, just use a water spray on him. It'll make him behave without fail." Naaza informed the silver haired girl with a complete deadpan.

"That…. sounds rather silly."

"It is." Naaza admitted unabashedly as she return the bottle in her hand to wherever she pulled it out from. "He would hiss at me and shrink away from the water like a cat."

Amid let out an amused giggle at the mental image Naaza had given her before changing the subject to something less weird. "If I may ask, what were you both originally planning to do?"

"We were planning on heading over to the Training Hall so Nii-san can continue practicing with a bow. He's still learning and I'm there to teach him what I can." Naaza informed her.

"Oh? I never knew Cain-san uses a bow."

"It's a recent thing actually. You should've seen him in action, he keeps hitting himself more than the target." Naaza said with a smile, clearly amused by the memories of his failures. That little devil.

"Hey! I've been making progress!" Cain said as he point the spoon that he was in the middle of washing at her. "I'll have you know that I can actually hit the target more than once already." he told her as he tried flicking the water from the spoon at her. Unfortunately, the distance between them was too far and his efforts did nothing except wetting the floor.

"And how many times did you did hit yourself in the process? Naaza shot back.

"...twice the amount compared to the times I've actually hit the target." he admitted begrudgingly.

"How is that even possible?" Amid ask the question that had been on everyone's minds ever since Cain manage to hit himself for the first time.

""We don't know."" Cain and Naaza both answered her flatly at the same time. Their timing was in a complete sync due to the number of times they had been asked that question by Adventurers who were there to witness said feat.

"Since we're on the subject, be serious with me Naaza-chan, have I actually improved at all?" Cain asked her with a bit of anxiety in his heart. Though he didn't show or say it, he's starting to feel very disheartened due to his poor performance in the range. He can't tell if he had actually gotten better at using the bow or not as there isn't any other beginners like him at the range that he can use as a reference. Sure he can hit his targets more often now but he still misses a lot when trying to hit them.

"Of course you have Nii-san." Naaza reassures him. "You were a lot better than when you first started out two days ago. Your uncanny ability to hit yourself aside, you're actually doing a lot better than other beginners who had just started out."

"Really?" Cain replied, sounding rather skeptical.

"Mn." Naaza nodded, showing a small smile on her face. "You really need to lower your expectations Nii-san, you've only been using a bow for three days after all. People don't just pick it up and suddenly become proficient with it. They spent a long time practicing just to be able to use it properly. Then they spent an even longer time to master it. I know what you are going through right now Nii-san, I was like you once after all...sans the hitting yourself part of course. I think that's something only you can achieve."

Cain lets out an exasperated groan in return because she keeps bringing it up. "You're not going to let me live that down aren't you?"

"Nope." She replied cheekily, radiating an aura of smugness that seem to permeate the air like a child that she is. "But seriously Nii-san, stop fretting about it. You're doing just great right now and you're improving way faster then any other beginners out there. A bit unnaturally fast but that just shows that you have talent. If you keep it up, you'll eventually be able to use a bow properly against real monsters after a few more days. Once we get you used to moving targets of course. Unlike at the range, real targets don't stay still for you hit them."

Unbeknownst to Naaza, Cain is actually quite familiar with the concept of leading targets as well as the execution. Still, there's no need for him to mention it to her as it'll raise questions that he's not comfortable with answering. At any rate, Naaza's encouragement did made him feel better somewhat about his piss poor performance with the bow. "Thanks Naaza-chan. I was honestly starting to think that I'm just not cut out for it." he told her with a slight smile, feeling a bit more optimistic about his future career as an archer now. "You don't mind continuing being my teacher until I'm capable of using a bow properly do you?"

"Of course not. At this point I'm already entirely invested in getting your skills up to par. I don't want you to hit yourself with a real arrow while you're in the Dungeon after all."

"I can only pray that it doesn't come to that. I'm know for a fact that you won't let me live that down too if that ever happen." Cain said wryly, causing Naaza to smirk mischievously at him.

"I'll train you hard so that it doesn't come to that. No promises though. You might actually hit yourself a couple of times before you finally get the hang of it."

"Yeah, yeah, no need to stay here and keep making fun of my unique archery skills. Go and make your potions already, you're burning daylight." Cain rolled his eyes at her and shooed her off. Naaza giggled slightly before turning around and drag Amid off to the back of the shop where the potion station is.

Cain could hear their voices slowly disappearing into the distance and he turn his attention back to the dishes. It took a few minutes for him to finish up and once he did, he took the time to think about what he should do with his newfound free time.

_Well, one thing for certain is that I'm definitely not spending it idly lazying around at home. Might as well head outside to see if anything interesting is happening. _He thought to himself before he started moving.

Before he left, he wanted to inform the girls as well as his God that he would be gone so he made his way to the potion room first. Cain approach the room and push open the door, revealing a large room with shelves on the sides filled with various ingredients. In the middle of the room is a large cauldron and next to it is a table where the two girls are currently huddled at.

There were some plants and roots placed on top of the table and Amid was busy explaining to Naaza just what they are and their general uses. Naaza was listening to Amid's explanations with rapt attention, so engrossed with what she's being taught she failed to noticed Cain walking up behind her. But to be fair, she has a hard time realizing that he's around even if she had been paying attention due to his skill being active all the time.

Seeing that his little sister is distracted, Cain decided to do the most bastardy thing a brother could do and proceed to ruffle her hair affectionately once he's within reach. The Chienthrope let out a startled yelp, causing Amid to jump slightly in shock as well, before turning her head around to glare weakly at Cain with his hand still on top of her head. The desire to get his hand off to avoid further embarrassment in front of Amid and the desire to keep his hand there to continue patting her was visibly warring inside those half-lidded eyes of hers. "Nii-san, what have I told you about sneaking around again." She growls and Cain noticed that she made no mention of the head rubbing that he's currently giving her.

Cain let out a chuckle at her reaction and remove his hand from her head. "Sorry about that." He apologized, though everyone present knew that he really didn't meant it. "I thought I should drop by and let you know that I'll be heading out before I leave."

Knowing that it's his inability to sit still acting up again, Naaza nodded in acknowledgment. "Where will you be going then?" Naaza asked curiously.

"I don't know yet." He told her honestly as he look out towards the window. "Well, it looks like it's going to be a nice day today. I guess I'll just wander around the city until something comes up I guess." he said as he stare into the cloudless sky. Then, his eyes narrowed sharply at something that he saw in the distance.

There was someone at the opposite end of the street who should have no business loitering around at this area of the city. _Change of plans then._ He thought to himself grimly before his attention was suddenly wrench back to the girls as Amid started speaking to him.

"Since you are free right now, do you want to learn how to brew potions alongside Naaza-san, Musashi-san?" Amid offered, presumably out of goodwill or just wanting the three of them to spent time together.

Cain considered her offer for a moment but what he saw earlier was still at the forefront of his mind so he could only shake his head regrettably. While it might be an interesting experience to actually watch the girls in action, there's something more important that he needs to do right now. Besides, if he were to join in and tried to make potions with them, all he'll accomplish is make things more complicated for them.

"Thanks for the offer Amid but I think it's best if you leave me out of potion making. I've tried before and it was horrible I tell you. We've spent days cleaning up the messes that I left behind from my attempts." Cain said with a grimace, causing Naaza to visibly blench. She's no doubt recalling the catastrophic disasters that came with Cain's attempts at potion brewing.

"It couldn't be that bad could it?" Amid sounded very doubtful at Cain's words. "From my experience, failing to brew a potion would only lead to a bad batch that could be sold cheaply or simply dispose of by draining it down the sink."

Cain let out a humorless laugh that seem to surprise the silver haired girl. "Oh Amid, that's because it's you who's making it. I've tried making potions a total of three times before I gave up completely. The end results were that it's either poisonous, explosive or some kind of harmful substance that's capable of melting through the cauldron. I'm actually very afraid that if I tried the forth time, it might be a combination of all three." Cain informed her with a shudder, the memories of cleaning up all those messing came washing past him like a cold wave.

"It was everywhere. How did it even manage cover the entire room like that?" Naaza muttered to herself quietly with a haunted look. It looks like she's experiencing some PTSD flashback of the explosive one judging by what she's saying. It was not easy cleaning liquid out of the ceiling and every cavity that it manage to fill itself in, that's for sure. She's just lucky she wasn't there for the third one.

"How is that even possible?" Amid asked in disbelief.

""We don't know."" Naaza and Cain both replied flatly to her question. Everyone in the Familia had asked that question before and they still don't have a definitive answer for had what happened to this day.

"If I may ask, just what kind of potion were you trying to make? The first one specifically."

"….A healing one." Cain replied with a look of shame on his features.

Amid looked rather dumbstruck by his answer. Her experience and knowledge of potion brewing all told her what she was just told is highly improbable. "You did follow the recipe right?" She asked tentatively.

"Down to the letter."

Amid's brain seem to hurt just a bit at Cain's admission. Just how is it possible for something meant for healing turned into something poisonous? Even if you were to muck up the brewing process, the worse you'll get is some colored liquid that does nothing. Amid's mind was working hard trying to figure out the mystery, trying to see if she could replicate what Cain had said in her own mind using her library of alchemy knowledge stored there.

Sure she could make poisons if she ever wanted to, but managing to make them while trying to make a healing potion? That is something that she had never heard of.

In the end, she realized that couldn't figure it out on her own and let out a defeated sigh. She'll have to ask her God about it when she get back. Still feeling rather curious, she chose to ask about the other potions at the risk of her brain hurting more. "And what were the other two potions that you've tried to make?"

"….they're the same." Cain muttered quietly.

"Erm...excuse me?" Amid let out, wondering if she had misheard what Cain had said. She could've sworn that she heard him said that all three of his attempts were the suppose to be the same thing.

"They're all the same. I've only ever tried making healing potions." Cain said, this time more clearly.

"...You managed to get three different results...while trying to make the same thing?" Amid reiterated.

"Yep." Cain nodded.

"And is everything done while following the same recipe? Did you try to change it in any way?"

"No, everything was done exactly as what was written on the recipe."

Amid put both hands up to her temple and began massaging them. Then she proceed to cover her face with her hands and took a deep breath. Once she's done with that she clasp both of her hands together and pointed them at Cain. "How?" She asked simply, curiosity and intrigue clearly showing on her doll like face. She knows Cain well enough from Naaza to know that he's not lying to her. According to Naaza, Cain doesn't lie, at least not fully. He just leaves important things out or doesn't correct you when you come to a wrong conclusion on your own.

""We don't know."" Naaza and Cain both replied with a perfect deadpan. Cain wanted to know that himself but since the only was for him to investigate was by making more potions, you can't blame him for leaving that mystery unsolved.

"Could it be some kind of skill or development ability?" Amid wondered.

Cain shook his head. "Last I checked, I only have one skill and you only get a development ability after level two."

"That's true..." Amid nodded thoughtfully.

"Anyway, I should be going now. Oh, and do remember to clean up once you're done." Cain reminded the girls before he started walking off.

"Okay, we will. Have a safe trip Nii-san." Naaza said as she gave him a lazy wave.

"Goodbye Musashi-san." Amid said politely with a small nod before turning around to grill Naaza for more details of Cain's potion brewing attempts.

Cain made it to the back door and shouted out to Miach that he was leaving so he would know he wouldn't be present in the shop. "Miach-sama! I'm off!"

"Have a safe trip." Hearing his reply, Cain walk right outside and closed the door. He made sure to lock the door tight before he left to where he last spotted the figure.

The one that he had seen earlier was still there when he had arrived. In fact, he hadn't even moved an inch. He was just there, sitting on the side of the street, not even being seen by the people that's currently walking pass him.

No, that's not right. It's more like the pedestrian chose not to see him and allow his image to be erased from their memories. After all, who would pay more than a passing glace to a mere beggar on the street. People might give them money or acknowledge their existence once they're in sight but once they're no longer in your vision, you just tend to forget about them. And that easily forgettable trait that they have is something of an advantage for them. It made them the perfect agents for that guy's needs.

Cain made a show to notice the beggar as he walk pass him like a normal person. Then he stopped walking and pull out some Valis from his pocket and went over to give it to him. He bend over closely to put the Valis into his cup that he's holding out and that was when the beggar spoke in a quiet whisper. "Your package is ready."

Cain made no show that he had heard him, nor did the beggar did anything to suggest that he had spoken anything other than the thank you when the coins landed into his cup.

Cain simply stood back up and walk away, eyes looking towards east side of the city. With his destination set, his made his way towards it with a purposeful gait, melting into the bustling crowd with relative ease.

**-0-**

**First off, I apologize for the long wait as well as not having a lot to show for this chapter. I've been….rather busy to be honest. *Cough*videogames*Cough***

**As for the other reason, it's because I'm having a bad case of writer's block that caused my muse to pack up and leave. I'm very bad at conversations. Every time I wrote to the part where characters had to talk, my mind just went quiet and I keep drawing blanks for dialogues.**

**It's always the conversation part that kills my muse. I just can't write a decent dialogue for the life of me. Maybe it has something to do with how unsociable I am. I don't really like talking all that much and didn't get a lot of practice with it. **

**I have no idea how conversations should flow. Things like how conversations should start and end, how to make them flow naturally instead of being forced are just hard for me. I ended up thinking that I'm just wasting my time just staring at the screen without anything to show for and it resulted in me procrastinating even more by playing video games instead. Help or advise would be very much appreciated if you have anything to offer this lowly writer about his dialogue problems.**

**Funny thing is, this chapter originally had over 15k words written on it that I could upload at any time once I fill in the many blanks it has. But sadly, I couldn't as those blanks are, you've guessed it, dialogues. In the end, I decided to just upload this segment to show that I'm still alive and also because I wanted to upload something before the year ends….which I've failed to do so apparently, seeing that it's 2020 now. Oh well, at least I've tried.**

**But! Good new is, despite being unable to write anything, I haven't been idle at all. Playing video games aside, I've been coming up with ideas and plots for this story. Instead of this being just a plot bunny that I've been winging so far, I now have something that resembles a plot line to follow. **

**Sure there's a lot of hole that still need to be filled but at least I know where to go with this. Now if only interesting games would stop releasing so I could focus on writing for once. I'm being bombarded by unexpected new releases and now I have a list of games piling up that I haven't finished yet.**

**Speaking of games, I've recently finish playing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and I got a plot bunny for it. Not sure if I'm going to write it yet since it's just something I've thought up on the fly. Then again, all my stories started out that way. Anyway, here's the basic summary for anyone curious.**

**[Have you ever gone to sleep and woke up in a completely different dimension? In the body of Galen Marek no less? Then the Spanish inquisition showed up while I was still getting my bearings and I found myself on the run with this Cal guy. Good news: I have force powers. Bad news: I have no idea how to use them. I also don't have a lightsaber of my own. Double bad news: The Second Sister seem to have made it her life's mission to kill me after I accidentally smack her on the ass during our fight. It was a pretty tight ass.]**

**Welp, that's all folks. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I wish you all a happy new year.**


	7. Chapter 7

**-0-**

**Orario- Daedalus Street**

**-0-**

Daedalus Street, also known as a city architect's worse nightmare. Located in between Orario's east and south east Main Streets, Daedalus Street is a residential area for the poor class citizens in Orario. A place where the rich and pompous would deem utterly beneath their time and notice and also a place where the shady elements of the city would often thrive due to the lack of oversight from the authorities.

When one first arrive to this particular area of the city for the first time, the first thing that they would notice is how they need to crank their necks upwards to see how high the buildings are due to the many layers of building being built upon each other. Imagine an Olympic stadium, and each row of the seats there represents a row of buildings. But that's not all, the entire district is also a maze, within a bigger maze, within a slightly bigger maze. The whole place reminds me of that one painting from M.C. Escher.

The paths just don't make sense. They sometimes end abruptly and likes to twist around convolutedly. Imagine trying to get somewhere but in order to get there, you'll have to walk down a street, crawl through a window, jump off a bridge to the path down below and then climb a ladder on the side of a building to reach it.

Yeah, whoever designed this part of the city is either very drunk or high. Quite possibly both.

Without prior knowledge of the layout, if one could even remember something so complex in the first place, one would find navigating this place to be a challenge even with all the signs in place telling you which path to take to get to where.

Thankfully, with how frequent I visited this place with Syr in the past, as well as on my own, I'm already quite familiar with which path that I should take in order to reach my destination.

Before I came here, I actually made a detour and went to the local general store to buy a single bottle of apple cider there. While not particularly a requirement or anything for who I'm about to visit, it's more or less a tradition now for me to buy him a drink whenever I paid him a visit. With my purchase made, I make my way into the maze, using the shadows to hide me from the view of those with malicious intentions lurking in the same area.

I navigate the street in an unhurried pace, using my memory to guide me through the many twist and turns, ups and downs, and one time needing to vault over a low wall as a shortcut. But after a bit of traversing the confusing paths, I found myself walking into an a wide open area that also serve as the unofficial public square in this district.

There were many people from various races mulling around and minding their own business. I can see adults going about their day or chatting with each other under the shades the buildings provides and a bunch of children playing with each other, using whatever they can find as toys and playing whatever games their childish minds could conjure up.

I stopped walking to avoid a group of them running past me, shouting and squealing with childish glee as they continue their game. I watch them go with a small smile before continuing onward.

Contrary to popular belief, this place isn't as lawless as people who has never been here made it out to be. Sure there are thieves and cutthroats living in the area but crimes rarely ever happen here. Even when they do, it's mostly just small stuffs like mugging or theft.

The villainous scums that had gathered here are mostly here to lay low anyway. With the entire mess with Evilus still going on, they know not to go to far and cause too big of a ruckus or they'll risk bringing in the cavalry that is the Ganesha Familia to start poking their noses here. Once that happens, they'll lose all their freedom and their activities will be severely restricted for a long while because Ganesha Familia members will be patrolling the area.

Because of that, they'd actually help out in keeping the crime rate as low as possible in this district and even rat out people from Evilus to Ganesha Familia when they were discovered in the area. Hell, there's even an unwritten rule about no committing crimes during the day and that civilians are not to be harmed that everyone follows without fail. Why? Well, that's because the one enforcing it is scary and has no qualms in making an example out the person who broke that rule. Brutally. No one in their right minds wants to piss of the top dog of the district that's also a level 5 after all.

I went through the square and continue making my way deeper into the district. It wasn't until I found myself in a dark street where foot traffic is nonexistent did I stop for a moment. I scan the area carefully until I spotted what I'm looking for and made my way towards it.

As I proceed down the path, my attention was focused on a very old looking beggar sitting by his lonesome on a cardboard with an old wooden bowl placed in front of him. Not quite so out of sight that you won't be able to see him and not so visible that you'll easily notice him if you aren't paying attention.

From a single glance, one can immediately tell that this person had completely forgo personal hygiene but that's to be expected considering his lifestyle. The old man's white hair was long and in disarray, hiding most of his face from view and his has a scruffy long beard with twigs sticking out of it hid it even more. He only wore some kind of ragged trousers that is no doubt scavenged from a trash can, leaving his upper body bare to show his bony and dirt caked frame and sickly pale white skin.

Right now he's currently leaning his back against a wall and snoozing away, completely unconcern of the flies flying around his body or crawling into his slightly open mouth.

I strode over to him, ignoring the stench that assailed my nose with ease and proceeded to kick him on his leg once I got close enough.

"Youch!" he cried out in alarm, his entire body lurch away from the wall and his arms flail upwards instinctively to protect his face. "Who's there!? What the hell do you want from me you damn thugs! I have nothing to giv-" His tirade ceases when he finally realize who it was that kicked him. "Oh, it's just you, brat." The old man finishes in an annoyed tone as he glare at me with a pair of milky pale eyes. "By the Gods boy, will you stop kicking me whenever you find me asleep!?"

I simply shrugged with a smile. "Sorry, habit." I told him as I toss the apple cider right at him. He simple reaches out his hand and caught the flying bottle without even looking.

By looking at his eyes, one can be forgiven for thinking that he's blind. Hell, I even thought that he's blind myself once upon a time but now I'm just uncertain. I have no idea if he's really blind or not since sometimes he does things that suggest that he actually has eyesight. Other times however, he'd act like he's really blind, convincingly so.

Maybe he isn't and he just pretending to be or, maybe he is and is pretending to be able to see. But in the end, it was simply not that important to me at all so I didn't bother finding out.

"Bah, you would think that your parents would've taught you how to treat your elderlies better by now."

"Well, they probably would if they were still alive." I pointed out dryly

"Ah yes, I've heard. An infant dragon on top of a trap spawn right? My condolences." He said, nodding to himself as he recalled just what had happened to my parents. I have no doubt that he heard the news from other sources since I had never told him anything.

For those of you who don't know, a trap spawn refers to the Dungeon's habit to spontaneously spawn a bunch of monsters on top of unsuspecting Adventurers. It's called a trap spawn mainly because it's like stepping into one; not the most original of names but very self explanatory. Imagine traversing down the Dungeon normally and then bam! You are now surrounded by a bunch of monsters ready to ruin your day.

While it won't spawn any monsters stronger than the ones on the same floor, the sheer numbers that will appear are enough to make anyone caught in the trap crap their pants. It won't do much against high level Adventurers who can just breeze through the monsters but when it's a bunch of low level ones, it's safe to say that it would be their unlucky day. Or their last.

What was originally supposed to be a regular journey down into the Dungeon went TARFU all over their faces.

It's just goes to show that even an ancient, malevolent, life hating entity can be a dick sometimes.

"Don't say things you don't actually mean. It makes you look like an ass." I deadpanned.

"True, but it's the norm to offer condolences to those who had lost loved ones."

"Yeah, but I'd rather that they have a smidgen of sincerity in them."

"Well, you know what they say: 'beggars can't be choosers'." The old man said as he smirked at me.

I rolled my eyes at him before getting to the reason why I'm here. "You got what you've promised right?"

The old man nodded and immediately pull out a folder from...somewhere that I'd rather not talk about. "Why of course. I always keep my end of the deals that I've made. Unless the person I made a deal with plans on betraying me first of course. In which case, I would totally betray them first." He told me with a grin while waving the folder in front of my face. "But as long as you remember keep your end, we won't have any problems at all."

I took the folder and stash it inside my shirt so it doesn't get seen. "Don't worry, I remember." I reassured him. Kinda hard not to when we came to an agreement just the day before.

**-0-**

**Flashback- One Day Ago**

**-0-**

"Hey there old man, I see that you haven't kicked the bucket yet." I greeted him with a grin.

He scoffed at me and looked somewhat offended at my comment. "As if I would die so easily, and will you stop kicking me whenever you find me asleep!?" He demanded angrily at the end, rubbing the sore spot on his thigh which I had kicked earlier.

"How else will you know that it's me and not someone wearing my face?" I replied.

"Bah, you're a paranoid bastard as always. So, how have you been? Not getting into any trouble again I hope." The old man said as he lean back against the wall and regarded me with curiosity, a lone milky pale eye peeking out of his long bangs as he 'looked' at me.

"So and so. Got involved in someone else's mess but what else is new?" I told him with a nonchalant shrug of my shoulders. "Did you miss me or something old man?" I let out a smirk as I ask him that.

"You? Not particularly. The free drinks that you always brought with you though, that I miss. I'm just worried that you'll eventually forget about poor old me and taking all the free stuffs with you."

"Oh please, as if I could ever forget the pungent smell you emit." I rolled my eyes as I toss him a bottle of ale that I have brought with me.

He caught it from the air with ease without looking. He held the bottle up to his ears and began shaking it. After a moment of listening to the contents whisk away in the bottle, the old man broke out into a grin. "Oh ho~ Amber Ale I see." He noted happily. How he keeps guessing the drinks correctly without even looking at them I'll never know. But then again, do I really care? "Thanks for the drink. Why, if you keep bringing my such nice things, I might start to think that you're after my own heart." He let out a hoarse chuckle as he set the bottle down on his side.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself. The only ones who would even go after you are the ones you've pissed off too badly. By the way, I'm not just here to see how you're doing this time. I'm actually here to use your services as well." I informed him as I lean against the wall next to him and cross my arms together.

The old man's head seem to jerk slightly in surprise at my words. He slowly turn to look at me, his eyes narrowing slightly as he study me with interest. He was silent during the entire him he was examining me but he finally spoke after a brief moment. "Blowjobs are a hundred Valis." He replied with a grin, revealing that there's a bunch of missing teeth from his mouth and the ones that are left in there are yellow and crooked.

I rolled my eyes at him again, completely unamused. "Your other service, old man. I'll have you know that I'm straighter than the pole that your mother danced on."

"Bah," He made a disappointed sound as he wave a dismissive hand at me. "You're no fun. At least pretend to be shock or embarrassed or something. So, what do you need to know? I must say, I most certainly didn't expect you to come to me for this at all."

"Who else could I go to? You are the only information broker that I'm acquainted with and if I try someone else, they won't take me seriously at all because of my age." I pointed out.

Yep, that's right. This old man isn't actually a beggar, that's just a cover that he came up with. He's actually an information broker.

But that's not all; he's also known as the King of Beggars in Orario's underworld. Impressive title right? Since he's called a king, you would assume that it meant he's some kind of ultra strong beggar that stands out among the rest, earning him the mantel of king by beating up all the other beggars right?

Nope. Totally wrong. I meant king as a monarch with subjects to rule over.

You usually see beggars scattered all over the city right? Those are all his men. Every single one of them. In fact, if you see a beggar out in the street, high chance that he or she is there to gather information and deliver it to this old man over here so people can buy it from him.

It may not look like much but his information network is so great that he knows every little thing that's happening around Orario. The only other group that could rival him in that regard is the Hermes Familia since their information network spreads outside of Orario. The old man could beat them when it comes to information regarding the things inside Orario but when asked about information outside of of it, he'll come up short.

I also suspect that he has photographic memory because he is able to remember everything his people told him. I guess that's why he chose to become an information broker. I have a sinking suspicion that the old man has other methods to get his information because there's just no way in hell he can get all that intel that he has just from eavesdropping beggars. Oh well, I'm not in on his secret information network so it's very likely that I'll never know how he does it.

The funny thing is, I met the old man by complete coincidence 4 or 5 years ago during one of my many escapades back when I was younger. I got into a some little trouble and needed help and he just so happen to be there, playing the part of a normal beggar.

I asked if he wanted to help me and he agreed, after I kicked him awake and threw some coins at him of course.

Since he helped me out back then, I had decided to thank him by visiting him every so often to check on him and to keep him company for a bit. There's also another reason why I chose to do so of course. I had felt that something was off about him back then, a gut that told me that there's more that meets the eye about the old man. Feeling curious as to why, I decided to investigate a bit. It turns out that my gut feeling was right on the money as I found out that what he really does after spending a lot of time with him.

Well, I didn't actually found out per se as he told me himself after I bugger him relentlessly for his secrets. You could say that we're friends or acquaintance or something along the line but in all honesty, I think he only kept me around because I entertain him.

"Hmm, that's true. So, what do you want to know? If you're actually coming to me for information, then it must be something really important."

"What's the latest news on Gale Wind?" I asked him. The point of the question is to know whether people knew about Gale's status. If I knew how many or just how recent they knew, I can deduce how much time I have before people start showing up to claim her head.

He raise an eyebrow at the question. "Now just why are you looking for information about a killer like that?"

"Personal curiosity." I told him.

The old man humphed in annoyance and look away. "Fine. Keep your secrets then. As for Gale, rumors has it that she died in a ditch somewhere but you know what they say about rumors, best take it with a grand of salt. Still though, there hasn't been a single sighting of her since the Rudra Familia was completely destroyed by her. There was a report that she was seen leaving the scene while heavily injured so there's some credibility to those rumors. No one takes on an entire Familia alone and comes out smelling like roses after all."

I nodded in acknowledgment, a thoughtful expression donning on my features. So either no one knows Gale survived and is recovering at the Hostess of Fertility or news just haven't reached the old man yet. That's good. It means I have some time before I have to worry about assassins.

But still, we won't be able to conceal Gale's presence anymore once she starts working as a waitress there. Someone would definitely recognize her in some way and news will start to spread. I suppose I just have to make good use of the time I have before then.

"That's not all you wish you know, yes?" the old man inquired. "I have a feeling that there's more you want to ask. Knowing you, you'd most likely have too much questions and is looking for the right one to ask."

I grimaced slightly when he hit the jackpot. It's true that there's plenty that I wanted to ask him but each question would cost me. He is an information broker after all and he doesn't give things out for free. Add to the fact that the higher level of confidentiality of said information, the more it'll cost. I can't help but hesitate when I wonder just how much this next question is going to cost me when I don't know how much I already owe him for the first one.

Well, I'm already prepared to use my entire savings if need be. If it isn't enough that I'll just ask if he could put it on my tab while I farm for money in the Dungeon. "Well, if Gale Wind was still alive, who do you think will be hired to finish her off?"

The old man regarded me with those empty pale eyes of his before he showed a crooked smile. "Ah, so she's alive then. Now how did you manage to come across that information boy?" He asked curiously.

I was unconcern about letting him know about that particular tidbit. There was no point trying to hide it from him since he'll find out eventually anyway. Better to let him in on the truth and build up some trust so I can continue to use his services later on if I ever need to again. "By complete coincidence. She's alive and is currently in the protection of Mama Mia." I told him, neglecting to mention who found her and brought her to Mia's place. He'll figure it out in his own time anyway.

He nodded, looking satisfied that one of the rumors circulating around has been debunked as well as acquiring the location of a very wanted individual. "As for your question, there are currently six individuals who has the skills and means to finish off Gale Wind that's up for hire. These individuals are the ones with no qualms in killing other people in cold blood just for money and are currently in Orario at this moment."

The old man pause and gave the place a quick scan, eyes searching for any listeners before turning back to me. "They are called: Zoro, The Vagrant; Lunoire Faust, Black Fist; Erin and Evan, the Dóiteáin Brothers, Alwin Naehice, Stalker; and lastly, Chloe Rollo, Black Cat." He informed me and I cataloged the names inside my head. As expected, the old man knew just who I need to look out for and saved me a lot of time by providing me a list of people to focus my attention on. It looks like coming here was the right choice after all.

"Hmmm, and you're certain that it'll be these guys?"

"Ha! I'd stake my own reputation on it. It's all about the statistics my friend. You ask for who will most likely be hired to kill Gale Wind and these six have the highest percentage to be the ones to do it." The old man gave a gravelly laugh as he slap on his knee, sounding completely confident in his answer. "Not counting ones who might be looking for her for personal reasons of course." He added as an afterthought. "Those people are not even worth mentioning due to their general incompetence and stupidity. The girls working at the pub will be able to deal with them easily enough."

If he put it that way I suppose there's no reason to doubt him. The old man has a reputation of always being correct with his information to look after; if he's willing to stake it on something then you can be assured that it's 100% true. Besides, it'll defeat the purpose of asking him if you're just going to question everything he tells you.

I push myself off the wall and gave the old man a small smile and an appreciative nod. "Thanks for the info old man. How much do I owe you for it?"

"Oh? Leaving already? Are you sure you don't want to know more? I can tell you what I know how about these people operate if you want." He offered.

I snorted and look at him with a deadpan. "And just how much will that cost me?"

"Much more than the information you gave me about Gale of course." He replied with a hearty laugh.

"Yeah, no thanks. I can do the research on my own. So, how much?

"Hold your horses young man. Before I tell you, I need to know what do you intend to do with said information I've just given you."

"Why?" I replied in confusion and a bit of suspicion.

"Just humor me." He told me with a completely unreadable expression.

I frown a bit and thought about his question. Lying to him is generally a bad idea as there's a chance that he'll learn the truth. That might create a rift between us that I don't need. Still, there shouldn't be any problems in telling him as he isn't one to blab unless he's paid to and no one important knows that I exist on account of me being a nobody.

With that in mind, I answered him truthfully, while being cryptic on the details of course. He's an information broker, it's wise not to tell him too much. "To find out more about the people you told me about of course." I stated.

"And what will you do once you've done so?"

I frowned a bit more, wondering just why he's suddenly so interested in what I'm doing. "I'm going see if I can create countermeasures against them, duh. Why else would I need information about them in the first place if not to beat or stop them?"

The old man rolled his eyes at me before asking another question. "And where exactly do you plan to get said information, from the Guild?"

"Well, that's the plan."

"Pah. You're wasting your time then. The most you'll get from there is a long queue and an even longer waiting time for them to dig out the records for you." He told me, scoffing at the idea that I have.

I let out a thoughtful hum as he does has a point. I won't be able to get my hands on the records right after I ask for them as he had said. It'll take a bit of time for the guild staff to search through the archive for the profiles I've requested and some paperwork to sign before I'm allowed to read through them.

Even then, the best you'll get is their public data which doesn't tell me much at all. "Then what do you suggest?" I asked curiously, wondering what he has in mind, he wouldn't have brought it up if he didn't have an alternative.

"Simple, you get it from me. In case you need to be reminded, I'm the one holding monopoly on all the information around here. I know everything there is to know about these people already, down to the kind of underwear that they wear." He grinned at me, showing me his poorly maintained teeth.

I can already feel my wallet shrivel up and died just from hearing his suggestion. Of course he would want to do more business with me. As much as I want to use the easy way he's offering, I can't. I simply don't have that much money to spent. "And if I don't accept and went with my original plan?

"Then you won't find anything substantiation there, not for the lack of trying mind you. The Guild just isn't the best place to go to if you're looking for how people like them operates. Trust me, I've checked. I'm sure you have other sources to dig information from but as you know yourself, they'll take more time and effort. By the time you finally find something useful, weeks will already passed and the attackers will have already made their move. But you already knew that, don't you?"

"Tch." I click my tongue in annoyance at how limited my options are is being fling at my face. So my options are either to waste time looking or just use the shortcut he's offering me. It's not really that hard of a choice to make to be honest, the more time I waste means the less time I have to prepare for the dangers that's to come. I just hope I've saved enough to be able to pay for it.

"I'll take your offer." I said grumpily, feeling the day where I'll be able to pay off my Familia's debt is even further than before.

The old man nodded happily. "Good then. I'll start writing their details down and I'll have one of my people inform you when to come back once I have everything written out. I believe it'll be ready by tomorrow, should give me more than enough time to properly write everything down. Don't want to leave anything out by accident because I'm rushing now do we?"

"Sure thing. So, how much do I owe you for everything? I know for a fact that the info about Gale is isn't enough to cover information you're going to give me." After all, it's a well known fact that information about Adventurers are the most expensive thing out there. The more dangerous someone is, the more expensive the information about them costs. There's no doubt that the ones the old man had told me about are in the level 3 to 5 range so the price must be quite high.

The old man let out a hum as he stroke his beard thoughtfully, most likely calculating the price in his head right now. But his answer surprised me as well as making me suspicious. "No charge."

"What are you planning old man?" I asked, eyes narrowing warily at him.

He let out a mirthful chuckle. "Oh, no need for that distrustful stare boy. You've been good to me these past few years so think of it as me paying you back. If you're that suspicious then think of it as a free trial for your first time. Next time you come to me for information, I'll charge you as much as I charge my other customers."

Despite how sincere he sounds, I can't bring myself to believe him at all. In my experience, being given something so valuable for free like this usually meant that something was up or that person is planning something. No one gives something freely and not expect to get something back in return after all.

The question is, just what could the old man want out of me? Even though I never told him anything about myself, I have no doubt that he has already found out who I am and what Familia I'm in long ago. He should know about my Familia's financial situation so it can't be money that he wants.

Could it be that he needed me for something? But that's just silly. I'm a nobody. I haven't even done anything worth noting for me to be considered a viable asset yet.

Being unable to grasp his true intention, I could only intensify my suspicious stare at the man.

The old man noticed and let out a sigh, visibly deflating in disappointment. "Fine then. It's because you're a wild card and is no doubt going to make things more interesting. I don't want you to die before whatever this is could reach it's climax because you went in half-baked. There, happy?" He told me as he shot me the stink eye.

Ah, that is actually more believable. Since he already knows everything that's going on in Orario, he must be dreadfully bored. He had claimed before that he has a complete grasp of every organization here in Orario and everything they do will fall within the expected perimeters he had set for them. The only things that can keep him entertained now are surprises and wild cards. Which apparently meant me for some reason.

At any rate, it's best not to keep looking at a gift horse in the mouth. Since he's giving me info for free, I should just be glad I won't have to empty my entire savings for someone I don't know. "Thanks, I guess? Oh, before I go, you mind keeping people off Gale's trail for me for a while?" I wasn't really putting much hope that he would but if he did then it would definitely increase the amount of time I have before people come sniffing.

The old man gave me an incredulous look. "Are you asking me to lie to my customers, boy? Trust is the most important currency in this line of work you know?"

"Would you rather have Mia Grand coming after you for endangering her employees?"

"That's a good point." He quickly conceded. "Fine, I won't tell them exactly where she is, only the general location. That's the most I can do for you without risking my neck and my reputation of being a reliable source of information."

"Thanks, I appreciate it. I'll pay you back for it sometime." I grinned and started walking away, feeling glad that I didn't come all the way out here for nothing.

**-0-**

**Present time**

**-0-**

Even though I said I would fulfill my end, I still don't have the slightest clue how to go about fulfilling it. Ah well, I'm sure things will work itself out in the future.

"And thanks for this, it'll most certainly save me a lot of time." I said in appreciation before turning around to leave.

"Don't do anything stupid now." He called out. "Need I remind you that these people are not ones you should mess around with. They are all cold blooded killers and they won't hesitate to remove you from the picture completely if you ever so decide to get in their way." he warned me sternly.

"I am aware of that old man. Rest assured that I'm not stupid enough to put myself in harms way without preparing for it." I gave him a dismissive wave over my shoulder.

"Didn't you get yourself beaten black and blue last time?" He replied dryly.

I turn around to look at him while walking backwards. "That was the plan." I told him with a serious look on my face. "How else am I going to deal with those guys other than having them arrested by assaulting a child in broad daylight? I was a pint size brat back then. There's not much I can do against three fully grown adult you know."

"With your smarts, I imagine that you could've think of many ways that doesn't involve getting yourself beaten up."

"In hindsight yes, that's true." I admitted sheepishly. There was a lot of methods I could've use back then if I think about it now. I guess I just wasn't in the right state of mind to think of them back then. "Ah well, at least it all turned out fine right?"

I can see him scoffing at me before shaking his head with an amused smile on his face. "Just take care of yourself you crazy bugger. I'll miss getting free stuffs from you if you kick the bucket."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll try not to die. See you next time you senile old coot." I turn back around and left the area, mind already wandering towards what to do next.

**-0-**

With the information of potential assassins in hand, the best thing to do is to find some quiet and private place to read them and plan accordingly depending on what I learn.

Well, it what I would've done had I not had an unexpected encounter right in the middle of leaving Daedalus Street.

"I'm sure that the kids will be glad to see you back Cain-san." Syr chirped happily as she walk next to me. It would seem that today is her day off so naturally, that meant she's going to use her free time to visit Maria's orphanage here in Daedalus Street. Right now we're both making our way deeper into the district in order to reach the orphanage.

Why would an orphanage be opened in an area such as this you ask? No idea. It's probably opened there for the sake of all the kids left behind when their parents dies from mysterious circumstances. This is still a shady place for back door deals after all.

"You think so? Should I be worried then?" I replied as I glace over to her. Right now Syr is wearing a white one piece dress and holding a basket that's producing a delicious aroma in her hands. I have no idea what's inside but it definitely smells better than the old man, that's for sure.

Meeting Syr here was a surprise for me as it was for her. But since we're both already here, she asked me if I wanted to accompany her to the orphanage to play with the kids like I used to. Since I did promise her that I would not long ago, I figured now's a good time as any and I can go through the intel I've acquired later.

"Oh absolutely." Syr replied happily. "I can guess that the kids would rush out to tackle you the moment they see you." She told me with a giggle.

"Oh joy. I'll need a new spine then." I said dryly, already imagining the scene where I would be dogpiled by a bunch of rowdy and excited children the moment I enter the gates.

"You'll be fine you big baby. Sure they may be a bit enthusiastic in their greetings but I'm sure you can handle it." Syr reassures me with a light pat on my back.

"You're only saying that because you're not the one being buried under a pile of giggling bodies." I pointed out, causing the girl to shoot me a mischievous smile. "So, how's our resident sleeping beauty anyway? Had she woken up yet?" I ask, changing the topic to the recent excitement in our lives.

Syr shook her head with a slight frown. "She hasn't I'm afraid. So far all she's done is sleep and I'm starting to worry that she might not wake up at all." she told me, sounding extremely worried for the elf's well being.

"Hmm...it's only been two days since we found her so it's still alright for the time being." I told her, trying to be as reassuring as I could. But if the elf doesn't wake up after the third day then we'll really need to worry about her dying from dehydration.

"I see..." Syr said softly, her gaze seemingly unfocused and her mind obviously still on the elf.

I gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze to knock her out of it. "Don't brood over what you can't control Syr. You did all you could already so chin up. As cliché as it sounds, you'll just have to believe in the elf that she'll pull through on her own."

"Right." Syr nodded.

"So, have you thought of a way to keep her from running away or doing something stupid?" I said, hoping to get a conversation going so that Syr doesn't dwell on negative thoughts.

"I have. Mama Mia and I both thought of a surefire way to keep her around." Syr told me confidently. "Just as long as she doesn't realize what it is that we're up to that is." She added with a sheepish chuckle.

"Do you need my help?" I offered.

Syr looked thoughtful as she consider my offer for a moment before shaking her head. "It's alright Cain-san. I think it's better if it's just the two of us handling Gale-san for now. The less people knowing what we're up to the better you see."

"Alright then." I nodded in understanding. I can see why she would want to keep her plan to as few people as possible. The more people who are in on it means the more people will have to keep track of what the other had said. Otherwise, they'll end up saying something they shouldn't or something that didn't match the story, thus tipping off the elf that something's up and making her suspicious. "I suppose you have the situation well in hand already so I'll leave her to you. But you'll keep me updated if anything changes right?"

"Sure thing." She agreed readily.

"Really?" I replied in surprise, not really expecting her to agree so easily. "I thought for sure that you would say no just to keep me from getting into trouble."

"I've thought about it…. but I have a feeling that it won't stop you from trying to keep us safe by doing what you think is necessary on your own." Syr said as she gave me a pointed look, causing me to shrug with a small smile.

"You got me there." I admitted.

"If I keep you informed, then you'll at least know what's going on and will be better prepared to deal with whatever trouble that may pop up, right?"

"I'll most certainly to whatever I can…." I said with a thoughtful frown on my face. "First thing I need to do is to make sure that the Inn is secured. Then I'll start-"

"Nope!" Syr spoke up before I could start listing the things I could do to prepare for trouble. "Let's stop thinking about dreary things for now. Today is such a beautiful day with such a nice weather out so let's not ruin it by talking about assassins and bounty hunters. You don't even know if they will be any at all, Cain-san. I know that it's always a good thing to be prepared but do you even know what to prepare for? The way I see it, you'll just be wasting your energy trying to be ready for every little thing that may not even happen."

I grimaced slightly as I realized that Syr's right. Without knowing which one of the bounty hunters or assassins that will be coming, I'll just be wasting time and resources preparing for every single possibility. Beside's, I haven't even read the file yet so there's no point in planning right now. "Yeah, I guess that's a good idea. There's certainly better things to talk about instead of speculating when and how bounty hunters would show up. So, what do you wanna talk about?" I asked her, wondering what she has in mind.

Syr thought about it for a minute before she lit up with a smile. "Oh, I know! You can tell me about your adventures in the Dungeon. It's always interesting to hear about the things you encounter and do in there."

I chuckled slightly. "Sure, sure. But I'd rather save it for the kids during story time so I don't have to repeat myself. We can talk about something else in the meantime." And so we went on our way, chatting about pointless everyday things as we move to our destination.

**-0-**

**Orario- Outside Maria's Orphanage**

**-0-**

The orphanage itself is an old church that was built a long time ago. It had undergo many repairs and renovations to the point where it's appearances had changed drastically since it's construction. It's so old that no one alive remembers when it was built or what it's original appearance looked like. Well, maybe except for the Gods but I doubt they would even care to remember.

But despite the worn out look the orphanage has going for it, the structure still manage to hold strong against anything the elements can throw at it.

Right now we're both outside in the backyard. Syr is currently sewing up holes and tears on the children's clothes with two very curious kids sitting nearby watching her work. By now she had already worked through most of them already as there's a small pile of neatly folded clothing in the basket next to her. "I see that you're still popular with the kids as always Cain-san." Syr said, giggling in amusement from her seat on the porch stairs.

"You think?" I replied wryly as I look at all the children all around me. They were all napping soundly under the shade of the tree that we're under. Well, all but one that is. The only one who's still awake among the horde of children is a little Chienthrope, nesting comfortably on my lap with a blissful expression on her face while I gave her a head massage. She's currently resting the back of her head against my chest and I can tell that she's enjoying herself a lot as I could feel her tail wagging and brushing against my stomach.

"Of course. Otherwise they wouldn't have drop what they're doing and rush out to greet you the moment you step into the gate."

"Ah yes, it was a very… warm welcome." By warm I actually meant painful. I didn't make three steps past the gates of the orphanage before I was bombarded by multiple child sized missiles and buried under their combined weight.

While I was being suffocated by the brats, all I could hear was them crying, welcoming me back happily or just rambling nonsense that kids usually say. But throughout the clamour assaulting my ears, I can easily pick up Syr's amused giggle among the noises. She was obviously nearby to observe my plight and had no intention of helping me out.

Once I managed to pry myself off the pile, Syr and I went through the usual routine whenever we came over. We greeted the owner of the place, Maria Martel, and started helping her out around the Orphanage with chores and keeping the kids entertained. Us keeping the kids busy is something that Maria extremely grateful with as it's hard to get anything done when you're being bugged by attention seeking children all the time.

It should be noted that being the kids plaything is mainly my job while Syr took on the chores. Believe it or not but Syr actually has the easier role because trying to keep up with all these bundle of energies is extremely exhausting, especially for someone who's old enough to be their grandpa.

However, that's the thing of the past as my condition is not the same as it used to be. Thanks to the large increase of my stats, I didn't even feel winded after running around the courtyard for hours on end, trying to capture all the kids in a game of tag. The kids however, seem to take my increased stamina as a challenge and ran even harder than before.

After a few hours of playing without stop, the kids finally expended all their energy and were too tired to continue playing. They were quite satisfied and happy after spending the entire morning and afternoon playing with me **(Read: Abusing me for their own amusement)** but sadly for me, I wasn't allowed to rest just yet.

After playing with the horde and watching them go do something else that doesn't involve me, I decided to find a nice shade to sit down under to rest. Just as soon as I manage to sit down under a tree, I found myself being surrounded by a completely different set of children, this time, they're all beast humans.

They rushed towards me the moment the saw me sitting down, all demanding head pats from me like I used to do in the past. I tried to say no at first but I was assault by the sight of a bunch of kids making puppy dog eyes at me. Face with such a ruthless onslaught of cuteness, I could only do what they asked without complain like a faithful servant. I strongly suspect that Syr may have a hand in teaching them how to utilize such a terrifying skill.

And so it is, I was forced to let children sit on my lap while patting their heads for an entire hour straight, with each getting their own turn evenly spread among them. Those who had their turn was content to just nap on the side and those who were tired from playing too much joined in as well.

"Alright, time's up Fina-chan. You can get off my lap now." I said to the little Chienthrope on my lap, looking like she's about to doze off at any moment as I run my hand through her head one last time, ruffling her cream coloured hair in the process.

"Mnn….five more minutes." the 5 year old muttered out.

"Can't do kiddo. If I give you 5 more minutes than the other kids would see it as unfair and will demand the same thing." I told her with a dry laugh as the thought of being stuck here for even longer came to mind. My legs are already numbed from being sat on for so long so I really hope it doesn't come to that.

"…." The girl didn't reply and became oddly quiet.

"Fina-chan?" I call out to her but didn't receive any answers.

Feeling curious, I lean over a bit to investigate. I found out just why she's so quiet when I saw that she had already doze off. Well, it certainly explains why I couldn't feel her tail brushing against my stomach anymore. Thankfully, Fina was the last one among the children who wanted head pats so I don't have to suffer from numbness any longer.

I carefully pick the child up from my lap and place her on the grass next to the rest of the kids and slowly stood up. The action was accompanied with the feeling of pins and needles all over my legs which I easily ignored. Then I started kicking my legs in the air one at a time to work out the kinks so they would recover faster. Even though I won't be affected by it, it's still an uncomfortable feeling that I'd rather not put up with if I don't have to.

Once the numbness faded, I began walking towards where Syr was. She saw me walking her way and move to the side so there would be a spot for me to pass through the stairs. Instead of passing through, I sat down next to her and gave a small wave to the two kids there when they greeted me before running off together, most likely looking for something more fun to do.

"Finish with the head patting session already Cain-san?" Syr asked as she shot me a playful smile.

"Fortunately for me, yes. I don't think I can stay seated like that any longer. If another batch of kids came over wanting the same thing, I'd probably toss whoever was seating on my lap into the air just so I can run away and hide." I answered her with a tired laugh, causing her to laugh lightly at my joke. Little did she know that I was actually being serious. "By the way Syr-chan, can I ask something from you?" I began, looking at her with a hopeful expression. There's something that I've been meaning to ask her, something that I had just thought of when I saw her fixing up clothes for the kids.

Syr regarded me with a curious expression. "Oh? What is it?"

"I was wondering if you could teach me how to sew." I said as I nodded towards the shirt in her hand that she was in the middle of fixing.

"Of course I could." She agreed easily enough. "But why the sudden interest?"

"To repair my own clothes of course. I've already lost count of how many sets I had to throw out because of all the holes I keep getting. It's not like I can keep on wearing them you know." I told her. Actually, I could keep on wearing them like nothing's wrong but Naaza wouldn't let me for some reason. Then there's the fact that no one in my Familia has any tailoring skill so I'm forced to buy new ones when the old ones get too tattered. "I'd rather not keep wasting money when there's an option to just fix them so here we are." I told her. Learning how to sew also opens up the option to make pouches or create more pockets that I can stuff things into so it could be pretty useful.

"I see. I'll be happy to teach you but I'm almost done already. You'll have to wait until next time or bring something you can use for practice on your own."

I nodded. "Sure, I have plenty of damaged clothing to practice with back home. I'll bring some over the next time." With my piece said, the conversation died off. Syr went back to fixing the piece of clothing in her hands, humming a song while I watch the kids as they play around in the backyard and making sure that they don't get into anything dangerous.

Now that I'm not doing anything in particular, I find myself starting to feel restless. There's this itch there that I can't explain and it's rather annoying to deal with to be honest. For as long as I can remember, I've always been this way. I need something to do, something to keep my body moving and to get things done. The more things left unfinished the more I feel like I have to do them. Staying still in one spot just seem impossible for me.

Funnily enough, the only times that I can be stationary without any issue is during deployments where I'm waiting in an ambush, scouting or sniping. It's rather sad that the only time where I can feel at peace with not moving around for long period of time is when I have to kill people.

It wasn't until minutes later of agonizing idleness did Syr, bless her soul for saving me from the boredom, start up a conversation again after she put her stuff aside. "Cain-san, are you feeling better?" Syr suddenly asked, causing me to look at her in confusion.

"What do you mean? I feel fine."

Syr wasn't amused by my answer and looked at me with a stern frown. "You know better than to lie to me Cain-san. I know that you've been feeling tensed these past few days and you've got a troubled look on your face right now so something must've been bothering you. You're still worried about Gale-san aren't you? Is that why you're so worked up?"

"Psh, of course not. What makes you say that?" I denied, even though I knew that it would be futile against someone like Syr. "Why would I worry about someone I don't even know."

"Well, maybe not about her specifically but what she might bring with her unintentionally. You're making the girls worry about your well being you know. Who knows what they'll do if you keep it up."

"Really? It can't that bad could it?"

"You were slipping back into old habits Cain-san. Anya and May were getting worried that you might completely revert back into your old self." She stated worriedly, causing me to grimace slightly.

"That bad huh? Is that why you were so insistent in getting me to come along with you back there?"

"Partially. The kids do miss you too so I figured I could get two birds with one stone with this arrangement."

"Heh, so like you to not waste opportunities. Thanks for looking out for me then." I told her sincerely, smiling ever so slightly.

"Why of course. We all worked really hard to get you to where you are today. It goes without saying that we don't want to see you turn back into to how you were before. Besides, weren't you the one who told me not to worry about things we cannot control?"

"Geez, you make it sound like I was a horrible person or something."

"No, not horrible. Only apathetic." She told me while shaking her head slightly. "The old you would've finished Gale-san's off the moment you realize who she was and you would drag me away to safety by force. Afterwards, you would return to see if her body was still there and collect the bounty yourself." She doesn't sound accusing or disappointed, it's more like she's merely stating the fact. I have a feeling that she's only saying this to show me just how much I have changed since back then.

I remained silent as I couldn't refute what she had said and frowned contemplatively. That certainly is something that I would've done back then. Hell, I've briefly considered doing it back when we found Gale but instead I hesitated, something the old me never would've done. In the end, I felt that the safety of Syr took priority over the money I could get from Gale's head. It's just goes show how much I've gone soft while living my life in this world.

I felt someone's hand on my shoulder and I dart my eyes over to see that Syr and put her hand there, smiling comfortingly at me. "There's no need to think too hard about it Cain-san. You're becoming a better person and you shouldn't feel bad for it. Had you not change and remained as you were before, you never would've been able to enjoy life as you have right now. So the way I see it, it's a positive development."

I nodded silently, realizing that she has a point. Was it really that bad of a thing that I began caring more than beyond myself and my family? Well, I do have more friends now so I suppose so.

"Alright, I think I've rested enough already." I said as I push myself off the stairs and stood up. "I think it's time to wake those little monsters up before it gets too late, otherwise they won't be able to sleep tonight and will have boundless energy to burn throughout the night. Gods know that Maria-san will have my hide if that ever happens under my watch."

"Alright then, good luck." Syr replied with a giggle, knowing full well that I'm going to be busy fending for my life from the horde again the moment they woke up from their slumber.

**-0-**

**Orario- Blue Pharmacy**

**-0-**

After a full day of messing around with children, it was time for us to head back. Syr suggested that we both head to the Hostess of Fertility together but I declined stating that I still need to get back and cook dinner for my Familia first. The second reason why I wanted to head back first is to drop the file somewhere safe and hidden so I don't have to worry about it being discovered constantly or losing it.

But being the gentleman that I am, I walked her to the pub safely first before I head on home on my own.

Once I reach my destination safely without any incident, I store the file in my room, in a secret compartment underneath the floorboard that I've made to put my stuff that I don't want others to see. There's not much inside right now aside from the useless grimoire and other trinkets that I've found over the years.

After I'm certain that the file is safely hidden away, I went to the potion room to ask if Amid would like to join us for dinner. But with how reluctant she was to accept a single cup of coffee, I have no doubt her answer would be in the negatives. Still, it's only polite to ask since she was already here.

And as expected, Amid's answer was no so we ended up only having dinner without her. I've briefly wondered if we should lock all the doors and windows next time to keep the girl from leaving until she had dinner with us. I realized that I was a bad idea as it could be considered kidnapping and her Familia would not take kindly to that so that idea was tossed aside.

Then I head off to work.

There's not much to say once I was there actually. Things went along as usual and I spent the evening at the back, cooking away for hungry Adventurers and civilians alike.

The only interesting that happened was after I returned home and was asked by Miach to come to his room so he can check my injury, something that he's doing right now as I sat on a chair shirtless with my back facing him.

"Hmmm. Well, it would seem that you will be healed completely by tomorrow." Miach announced after examining my back. The news was unexpected but a welcomed one. I could feel myself getting excited at the prospect of being able to fight in the Dungeon again but I immediately clamp that feeling down before it could get anywhere.

"Really?" I asked, voice filled with doubt as I don't want to get my hopes too high unless he wants to say I still need to wait 1 or 2 more days before I'm really good to go. "It's only been a couple of days hasn't it? Isn't that a bit too fast?"

"Yes, really. Adventurers tend to heal a lot faster than normal after all so your speedy recovery is to be expected."

"Does that mean that I'm clear to go back into the Dungeon again?" I look at Miach with a hopeful expression.

"Of course. You're free to head back there starting tomorrow." He informed me.

I smiled at the good news.

"I suppose you'll need to inform Naaza afterwards so she can prepare herself for the journey as well." He added.

And the good cheer that I was feeling instantly crash and burn and what's left of the smothering remains was worry. _Oh right. I won't be going in the Dungeon alone anymore._ I thought as I remembered the agreement I had with Naaza.

I was starting to feeling very worried about placing her in a danger zone. Doubts started to form in my mind on whether or not I would be able to protect her properly in there. The Dungeon is a very unpredictable place fraught with perils so I have no idea just what await us there. Will something bad happen again like the last time we went in there together?

Will she be hurt because of my carelessness?

I clench my hand into a fist tightly. _No. Unacceptable. __It's my fault that she want__ed to do__ this so it's only right that I do everything in my power to keep her __safe. __I'__ll__ find a way, __somehow. __Even if it cost me my life._

"So What are you going to do about your part time job? Are you going to quit now that you're going back into the Dungeon?" Miach asked me, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Well….I suppose I can keep the job for now." I said with a thoughtful look. "I mean, it would be bad to quit so soon after begging to be hired you know. If I pace myself properly, I'll still have more than enough stamina to work for the night." There's also the thing going on with Gale Wind and I want to see how everything works out first before I decide on whether or not I should quit.

"Cain-kun." Miach sounded rather aggravated when he said my name, most likely due to the fact that I'm going to be doing way more than before my impromptu break if I went through with my decision.

"I know, I know. Don't overwork myself." I said with both my hands held up in a gesture of surrender. "Don't worry Miach-sama, I know my limits more than anyone so I know when to stop."

Miach just let out a defeated sigh, knowing full well that he can't change my mind. "Very well then. But before you leave, let's update your status since you're already here shall we?"

"Might as well." I gave a casual shrug and simply waited for Miach to fetch his things.

While he was busy updating my status, I took the time to think of how I was going to go about keeping Naaza safe in the Dungeon as well as reminding myself to give the file that I've acquired this morning a look through before I sleep.

"Cain-kun?" Miach suddenly spoke up midway through updating my status.

"Yeah?" I replied, playing half attention to what Miach have to say as my mind was mostly elsewhere.

"Apparently, you managed to acquire a magic spell." He informed me, sounding surprised.

My wandering thoughts came to a grinding halt. _Uh oh__._ The thought went though my mind as I suddenly remembered the grimoire that I had used not long before and that I had forgotten to come up with a plausible excuse for suddenly having a spell in my arsenal. _Well, this will be fun __to explain__._

**-0-**

**Finally! This chapter is finally done after so long! Remember when I said during that last chapter that I could get this chapter out as soon as I finish filling in the blanks? Downloading Destiny 2 was a bad idea. But don't worry though, I've deleted it now so it should free my a lot of time for- oh look! A new Dragonball game!**

**Don't get me wrong, Destiny 2 is not a bad game or anything, if anything it's actually a pretty good game. The combat is really fun and engaging, more than I ever expected but the only problem I have with it is it's story. It's a mess. I've just hopped in the game and every NPC talks like I've done a shit ton of epic things that I've never done before. Who the hell are all these enemies factions and why do they hate my guts? I just got resurrected for crying out loud.**

**Anyway, Cain is finally getting his magic revealed...during the next chapter. Mainly because I have no clue where to end the chapter if I keep on writing. We might end up with 30k words for a chapter if that's the case. Kinda like how my first story ended up to be honest. I learned very harshly that no one wants to read 30k words in a single chapter that day.**

**Since we're already here, can you guess what Cain's magic is? There were plenty of guesses already but none had gotten close to the answer so far. While it's been fun reading people's theories, I can't help but wonder if I should offer a hint just to make things easier for you guys.**

**The hint is on the grimoire, that's all I'm gonna say.**

**But that's not all, during the next chapter we'll get to see Naaza and Cain exploring in the Dungeon, Ryuu waking up and the appearance of two soon to be waitresses. Maybe not everything in a single chapter. Maybe it will? Who knows? I certainly can't control my muse.**

**Last thing to address is the pacing of the story. Is anyone tired of the slow plot development yet? If so then I can try and speeding things up. With 'try' being heavily emphasized of course.**

**Welp, this is it for this chapter. Ta ta for now.**

**PS: Sorry if the last part felt rushed. I wanted to get this out before Chinese New Years because I'll be hella busy during then. **

**With that said, Happy Chinese New Years everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I found out that I weak at writing fight scenes during the writing of my Star Wars plot bunny. Since Danmachi is full of fighting, I wonder if I could actually do well in here. Welp, the only thing I could do now is give it all I've got and hope for the best.**

**Also, people are saying that Cain's too weak and won't amount to much against the foes in canon and you're absolutely right. He's going to die instantly if he ever goes against them like a fly being swatted, at least for now. He is only a level 1 after all so have some patience. Not every has some game breaking skill that's propel his stats to the max. He has 5 years before canon starts and I have a lot of things planned to happen to him during those years. **

**In fact, you could say that the things that are about to happen to him is going to be fate altering for others, if you know what I mean. **

**So have patience and pray that I don't lose my muse because it took a literal quarantine for me to actually get this chapter done because I have nothing to do. XD**

**-0-**

I subtly shift my gaze to my right and took in the form of my little sister. There she stood, still as a rock with an impassive face as she stare on ahead. To anyone looking at her right now, she would look like she's simply lost in thought. Only the minute trembling of her hands that I saw told me of how she really felt.

In front of us is a set of stairs located in the center of the Tower of Babel that would lead us into the Dungeon. The path down is dark and foreboding, many had walk down this path before and failed to return.

Entering the Dungeon is a risk, often times fatal, but yet, people still willingly went down into it's depths despite that knowledge. They know full well what they're getting into but they just couldn't resist. After all, the rewards always outweigh the risks.

Of course, not everyone understands the full responsibilities you would take on when entering the Dungeon. Those people are always the new ones, eager and reckless fools. They are the ones whose heads are filled with stories of glory and excitement that could be found in the Dungeon's depths. But those people often wise up before long, if they manage to survive that long that is.

Coming into the Dungeon, one need to be prepared for when things go horribly wrong and knowing that you could die at any moment. I've had that experience a handful of times since I've first started out as an Adventurer and countless more times during my last life. It stands to reason that I'm quite intimate with the feeling of almost dying and isn't affected by it.

Naaza, on the other hand, had only experienced her first half a year ago and is still getting over it.

She's scared. That much is obvious. She's about to reenter the very place where she had lost two people who were close to her and almost lost her own life as well. For me, it has been some time since the incident but for Naaza, it may as well been yesterday.

But still, she didn't let her fears hold her back. She came here with the express purpose of conquering them. For that reason alone, she had proven herself to be braver and stronger than most who had given up the life of Adventuring after almost losing their lives once.

Today she had switched out from her casual wear in favor of her old Adventuring gear. She's currently donning a yellow coat with a basic leather armor over it, a pair of leather gloves, blue jeans and a pair of brown boots. Strapped on her back was her bow and a quiver filled with freshly sharpened arrows.

It should be noted that her armor has a large patch of dark brown stain on it's right side from when she had lost her arm. We'd replace it with a new one but we currently don't have the funds to purchase a new one. So for now, she decided to put up with her old one until we can get something new for her. It's better to have something to protect yourself with than nothing at all, even if that thing will bring up bad memories whenever you glace at it.

As for me, I'm decked out in my usual black themed outfit with a sword strapped to my waist. The only thing missing from my setup is my old backpack which I have left somewhere safe for now.

I heard a few mutterings coming from behind us so I turn my head around and check. There were a few Adventurers there looking at us perplexedly, silently wondering in confusion and annoyance at why we're standing in front of the stairs and blocking the way.

'Trauma.' I mouthed to them.

Most of them didn't understand what I'm trying to say but there's this one veteran looking guy in the midst who seem to realize what I was getting at and nodded understandingly. Then he went on and explain to the others and sure enough, we were left alone after that while they regard my little sister with looks of respect and silent encouragement before moving on to use the other stairs.

But still, seeing them made me realize that we've been standing at the entrance for a while now. Precisely 10 minutes to be exact if my internal clock is to be believed.

I look back to Naaza and found her still frozen solid, trying to work up her courage to enter the Dungeon. Part of me wanted her to back out, to not put her life at risk like this. Another part of me knew that it had to be this way, otherwise her fear will continue to fester and eat away at her heart.

Her nightmares aren't so frequent anymore but they still happen from time to time. It seem to have gotten worse just yesterday when she realize that she's would be returning here. It told me that what happened to her in the Dungeon still haunts her even if she claims that she's alright.

She'll need to overcome this if she ever wants to live without her fears holding her back and as he brother, I'd want her to live freely and unburdened by the past.

But unlike me, she doesn't have to do it alone.

I slowly reach my hand out and held onto hers. She flinched upon the contact before she realize that it's me and tighten her hand around mine, silently seeking comfort from the physical sensation of my hand wrapped around hers. She turn her head to look at me and is blushing slightly, most likely because she's feeling embarrassed of me holding her hand in public, something I haven't done since she was a child.

"Don't worry." I whispered, her canine ears easily picking up what I've said. "I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you." I offer her a small, reassuring smile. She believed my words instantly and took deep breaths to calm herself down. I can feel the shaking in her hand subsided somewhat and she nodded.

With her mind made up, I lead her gently into the gaping maw of the Dungeon and we began our descend unto it's depths.

**-0-**

**Dungeon- 4th floor**

**-0-**

I frowned slightly in concern as I glance over behind my back. There Naaza was, following behind me and sticking very close as she held onto my hand tightly like a lifeline. Her eyes were scanning the surroundings with obvious apprehension in them as she hold her bow closely to her with her other hand. I look around behind her to check if there are any monsters behind us or had been stalking us. Seeing none, I simply turn my head back in front and keep on walking with my other hand resting on the hilt of my weapon.

We are currently searching for monsters on this floor for Naaza to kill. I wanted to see how well she would react to fighting one and whether or not she could handle the stress. It the results are unsatisfactory, I will simply take her back to the surface where she could collect herself and try again another day. It's no good to keep forcing someone to keep going when they're barely able to keep it together.

The reason why I chose this floor is because the monsters are fairly weak here and less of a risk to engage. I could start her off on any of the previous floors but it's already filled with other Adventurers, especially greenhorns. The monster respawn rate isn't that fast and if we wipe them out too quickly, there wouldn't be any monsters left until the Dungeon spawn them again.

It wouldn't do for us to stay there and compete for the limited amount of monsters just for the sake of testing. Those newbies need the experience they could gain from those weak monsters more than we do and I'd rather not force them to go down deeper because all the spots were taken.

Still, we did encountered some monsters while we were making our way down here. We didn't engage them of course. We only saw them at a distance and they didn't notice us so we went around them easily. However, even though there's a large distance between us, Naaza's reaction after seeing them was to tense her entire body and looking like she's trying her best not to turn around and run. I foresee a tough time ahead for her once we actually get to the fighting part. And speaking of which….

My eyes snapped towards a moving shadow and I finally spotted our first monster on this floor. I stopped moving and crouched down, pulling Naaza along as she swivel her head towards me with wide eyes in surprise at suddenly being pull down into a crouch.

"Nii-" she began but I quickly cut her off.

"Naaza." I interrupted her, speaking softly yet sharply as I turn to look at her and let go of her hand. "Remember, speak softly or whispers only unless we're too far apart or when our position is compromised. Loud noises will alert monsters to our position and remove our element of surprise."

I can't tell what she's thinking as she stare at me with an unreadable expression but she eventually nodded. "Okay." She whispers. "Why did we stop?"

"We've got contact, front, bearing thirty, one fifty-five meters" I informed her as I turn my attention back to the monster that I've spotted. Good, it hasn't noticed us yet. That means Naaza can have all the time she needs to line up her shot and kill it.

"Wha? Contact? Bearing? What does it mean?" Naaza tilt her head slightly to the side as her expression morph into one of confusion.

Ah right. Naaza doesn't know military terminology and wouldn't understand some of the things I might say during the thick of things. It's going to cause some problems down the line since it's already ingrained into my psychic and I might revert back into using military terms once combat trance is activated. It should be an easy fix once I taught her some of the basics but now isn't really a time for military communication 101 for dummies. I'll do it after the day is over and when we're safely back home.

Now however, I just need to keep remembering that I'm not with well trained squad of soldiers and my way of communicating on the battlefield needs to change. Still, I'm going to need a way to quickly inform Naaza of enemy positions quickly and precisely. That way she doesn't waste a precious few seconds searching for it after I told her where it is. I know just how much of a hassle it is when someone called out targets but wasn't specific enough about their exact location other than the general direction. I'd like to save her the trouble at the very least.

"I'll try to it explain later. It' might take some time so I'd rather do it once we're safely back on the surface." I informed her and she nodded, accepting my words. "For now, have you ever seen a compass?"

Naaza shook her head.

I frowned, as I thought what else is there for me to use as reference. I hope I can figure this out soon because I rather not waste time trying to think of a reference when I could just- Wait. Time. That's it! I nodded to myself as an idea came to mind before speaking to Naaza again. "Right. How about this, you know what a clock looks like right?"

Naaza nodded, looking unsure at where this is going.

"Then we'll use the clock's as base for where the enemy is. Imagine that we're standing on the middle of the clock and the hours will be the direction of where the enemy will be. If I say monster at six o'clock, then there's one behind us. If I say, three o'clock then it's at our right. Simple yes?"

Naaza nodded again, this time more enthusiastically.

"Alright, let's do this again. There's a monster at one o'clock, one hundred forty meters. We're lucky too since it's just one goblin." I told her and she immediately look towards the direction I had indicated. "Do you see it?" I asked her.

"Yes." She confirmed, tightening her grip on her bow.

"Good. It's all yours." I told her.

"Eh?" She let out in surprise "Are you sure Nii-san? Shouldn't we be working together?" She said nervously as her eye dart between me and the goblin. Her hesitation was clear to see but even so, I know for certain that she can do this. She just needs a little encouragement.

"It would be overkill if the both of us went after a single goblin. Besides, we still need to get you use to dealing with monsters again so now is the perfect opportunity. Don't worry, I'll still be next to you so don't be afraid and take your time." I gave her a small encouraging smile as I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

She took a deep breath and nodded again, her eyes filling with determination as she stood up and got into position. I move back to give her the space she needs and watch her work as well as keeping an eye on our surroundings.

She assumed the same pose she always does whenever she's using her bow and nock her arrow. She drew her bowstring back to it's full draw and line up her shot. With her bow in hand and ready to fire, the earlier hesitation was gone and her entire posture now ooze confidence as though she could never miss her shot. Once she got her target within her sights, she let her arrow loose.

With a barely audible twang, the arrow flew forth towards it's intended target like a bullet.

Her shot met it's mark. The arrow lodge itself deep inside it's skull, causing the goblin's head to jerk backwards violently and fall backwards. It was dead before it even hit the ground.

The entire process didn't even take 3 seconds.

I let out a small whistle in appreciation of how seamless it was. Naaza immediately snapped out of her focused state and turn to me, silently asking me how she did with those expectant eyes of hers. Her entire aura seem to be screaming praise me right now.

I let loose a chuckle and gave her head an affectionate ruffle and she broke out a small smile. "Good job Naaza. You sure showed me how deadly a bow could be. How are you feeling?" I asked her.

"I'm okay." She replied, tail wagging at the praise.

"I see." I nodded, believing her words completely. "Well, let's keep going on this floor for today. We'll start descending deeper starting tomorrow."

"Hm? Why? Shouldn't we keep on pressing onward? With our stats, we should be able to handle the monsters on the 9th floor."

"Naaza, you've killed _one_ goblin. In a controlled environment where even if things went horrible wrong somehow, we'd be able to deal with it with ease. I'd rather we keep to somewhere safe for now and go deeper once you're completely settled in."

Naaza pouted slightly at being denied going deeper into the Dungeon.

"Now now, no need for that young lady. It's actually better to just stay on course for now instead of pushing ourselves." I told her as I cross my arms in front of me. "I learned long ago that it's best not to be overeager when you are in the Dungeon. The proper way to do things is to start off your trip by setting a goal. Once you reach your goal in the Dungeon, you head back. If for whatever reason you managed to achieve your goal way earlier and you can still carry on, you still go back and plan accordingly with that in mind for the next tip."

"Why?" She questioned, clearly confused by what I'm saying. "Shouldn't we keep going if we could just to make the most out of our time here? It seems like a waste to end the trip early."

"Ah, but that's the trap that most Adventurers fell for." I informed her with a knowing smirk.

"A trap?" Naaza sounded apprehensive.

"Yes. It's that mindset that keeps Adventurers going when they don't have to. They'll think it's a waste to end their tip early like you did and simply continue onward. If that keeps happening, they'll start to grow confident, thinking that their abilities are enough to get them that far. And one day, they might encounter a problem they didn't expect or become stranded on a floor, unable to leave simply because they didn't prepare for it. It's how the Dungeon gets usually gets them." I told her solemnly.

Naaza looked rather guilty at being told that. "Sorry, Nii-san." she mumbled with downcast eyes.

"It's fine. You didn't know since you're always with the more experienced member of our Familia. Guess they forgot to teach you some things while you were with them. It's actually a common occurrence for new Adventurers and those who had experienced it and survived never repeat the same mistake again. There's a book written about it that you can read called 'Greenhorn's hubris'."

"Oh.' Naaza perked up slightly at the mention of the book. "The one that Flott-san forced you to read and memorize by heart and wouldn't let you leave the Guild until you do?" She reminded me with a small smirk.

I let out a sigh and nodded. I know that Misha means well and all but that girl was just too...enthusiastic in getting me to read it. Kind of like a fan trying to push their favorite thing onto others. "The very same. Eina-san was the one who found it and thought it would be a great idea to get Adventurers to read it because it could help them in the long run. You should give it a read sometime when you're free." I told her.

Though the only complain I had about the book is that most of the stuff that happened to the main character can be avoided if he had a single brain cell in his head. Honestly, that guy keeps doing stupid stuffs for no reason which got him in trouble in the first place. The only reason why he kept surviving all those absurd situations he found himself in was due to plot armor. It's still a good book though.

"Anyway, we're getting off topic here." I wave my hand as if to brush off the conversation like it's actually a tangible thing. "You don't have to look at being stuck on this floor as a bad thing Naaza-chan. It's not like you can't gain any excelia here. Besides, we would be able to work on our teamwork without having to worry about getting injured as well."

"You're right." She accepted with a thoughtful look. "We still don't know how well we would work together in a fight yet."

I smiled slightly, glad that she's seeing reason. "Since our goal is to raise your stats as quickly as possible and help you level up, you would be the one to do the killing for that sweet excelia. I'll keep a look out and mark targets for you so you just focus on shooting whatever monsters we encounter. What do you say? Good plan?"

Naaza frowned a bit upon hearing what I had in mind. "But don't you need to raise your own stats as well Nii-san?" She asked.

I shook my head. "My stats are doing fine, Naaza. I'll be able to raise them in my own time. I'd rather focus on protecting you and killing any monsters that got close first. You just focus on raising your own stats and don't worry about me. After all, the sooner you get a D rank in your stats, the sooner we can work on the ranking up part."

Naaza stared and sighed slightly after a moment of consideration and nodded.

With her answer given, we both went to collect the magic stone and arrow from the dead goblin before continue on our way in search for more monsters to kill.

**-0-**

The Dungeon lizard was halted in it's mad charge towards us and fell off the wall as Naaza's arrow found purchase in it's body. The body hit the floor with a wet smack before it started to wriggle on the ground in pain. It didn't suffer for long as another arrow put an end to that swiftly as it bury it's tip into it's head and it's frantic movements ceases.

With the monster dead, I made my way towards the corpse in order to start processing it with Naaza following behind me. While I work on digging the magic stone out, my eyes glance away from the lizard to the 5 others carcasses that littered the way forward. They were the remains of the group of monsters that this lizard was once part of. Man, things are so much easier when you can just kill them from range.

Our progress was slow but at least Naaza is steadily racking up kills as we move deeper into the 4th floor. I, on the other hand, had been acting as a supporter the entire time. I did my best not to get in my little sister's way and made sure to inform her of any targets that I spotted while collecting magic stones from the ones she had killed. So far there isn't a need for me to step up and fight yet since Naaza is killing them before they could even reach us.

Aside from keeping an eye out of monsters, I've also been keeping an eye on Naaza and observed how she's holding up and to my pleasant surprise, she's doing much better than I originally thought she would. The overwhelming fear that she had when she first came here has subsided somewhat as she gradually get more used to the presence of monsters.

But that doesn't mean she's gotten completely over her fears yet. I noticed that she would start to panic whenever they start getting too close like that lizard did. Normally, she would've nailed it in the head without any issue on the first shot but her aim was off and she hit the body instead. She only regained her composure when the lizard was immobilized on the floor and finished it off easily. Then there's how her body would stiffen when more than two were approaching at the same time and it slowed her down. She could've mopped up the group just now before they even came close if she didn't froze for a moment.

I understand that having a bunch of bloodthirsty beasts charging at you can be quite intimidating for some so freezing at the sight of it can be forgiven. Still, I was honestly impressed and quite proud that Naaza didn't freak out and call for me to help when she's obviously scared out of wits during the encounter.

The monster turn to dust once the stone was removed from it's body and I pick up the arrows it left behind. I check on them and noticed that one of them has a broken tip. Looks like we're down an arrow again. It became apparent to us not long after Naaza killed her first goblin that using only cheap arrows comes with a large downside. They break too easily; some had their shafts snapped or had their tips broken off. Then again, they were meant to be disposable so it's not much of a concern.

We do have better arrows but they're currently being saved in reserve for when we encounter stronger monsters that won't go down easily.

I continue to collect magic stones from the monsters and when I got to the last one, I look up from what I was doing to give my surrounding a glace for any monsters. I saw that Naaza was keeping watch for me as well. "You doing okay there?" I ask her as I pocketed the magic stone into my pouch and pass the arrows that's still usable back to her. "Don't be afraid to tell me if you're feeling tired or if something's wrong. It's a bad idea to withhold something just because you don't want to feel like a burden you know."

Naaza nodded slightly as she took the arrow from me and put it into her quiver on her back. "I'm fine, I can keep on going." She told me resolutely.

"Glad to hear that, but we should start heading regardless." Naaza's eyes widen a bit and she looked like she wanted to protest my decision but I interrupted her before she could. "It's currently three-forty seven in the afternoon right now. With the pace we're going, it'll be five by the time we make it back to the surface." I informed her.

"Really?" Naaza let out in surprise before she search her pocket and pull out a small pocket watch to check herself. I smiled slightly at the sight of the little trinket. I had given that to her as a birthday gift long ago and I had no idea she still had it with her. You'd think it'd be broken or lost by now since she was a little child when she received it. It would seem that I have underestimated her ability to take care of her own things. "You're right. It's this late already?"

"Well, time does fly when you're not paying attention. Come on, I'd rather we make it back sooner so I would have more time to get ready for pub. We can still kill some monsters on our way back as well." I gesture for her to follow and started walking back the way we came.

Naaza quickly put her watch back and stuck close to my back like always. "Do you really need to keep working there Nii-san? You shouldn't tire yourself out with too much to do." Naaza said unhappily.

"Naaza-chan, we've talked about this. I am aware of my own limits so I know how to manage myself and besides, you're the one doing all the hard work so far so I still have plenty of energy left to spare." I reassured her.

"I still think you should stay home and rest." Naaza muttered, displeased at how I'd rather throw myself into work all the time.

Knowing that nothing I say will make her happy unless it's about me actually resting, I decide to change the topic. "Do you want to restock your arrows first before we continue any further Naaza?" I asked her, looking over my shoulder at her as we move down the rocky path.

She went to check on her quiver and I saw that it's almost empty. "Yes please. I could use a new batch." She told me and I slowed down to a halt, causing her to stop as well.

I simply raise my hand out and started imagining the item that I wanted in my mind and focusing on it. I saw the shape of a bundle of arrows materializing right above my open palm. Once the arrows fully materialized, they dropped onto my hand and I hand it over to my little sister. She stared at it for a brief moment before shaking her head and took them from my hand. She stuffed them into her quiver before we continue making our way back.

"I've seen you use your magic a few times already but it's still so weird to see it in action." Naaza commented in a mutter.

"I agree. But since I'm stuck with it, we'll just have to get used to it." I said with a slight chuckle, amused by the perplexed expression Naaza has when I make things appear without any warning. It's a trick that I learned quite recently too. As recent as last night to be exact. It's the spell that I got from the grimoire.

Turns out, I don't need to come up with an excuse for suddenly having a spell in my Falna. Miach took my silence as me being surprise of it's existence as well and told me that, while rare, they tend to appear randomly throughout an Adventurer's life so it's no cause for concern and thus, saving me from having to come up with an explanation.

The spell is aptly named 'Walking Armory'. It allows me to store weapons, armors and equipment in some magic space somewhere and I can call upon them any time I want. But that's not all. While it's a general rule for magic to require some form of chant to activate it, mine doesn't and only requires a mental prompt. According to Miach, it's something unheard of.

With a new trick up my sleeve I was elated and did what little experimenting I could with it before I went to sleep last night. Of course, I had no idea how to use it at first since there's no instruction on how to use it. It was by pure dumb luck that I discovered the method after trying everything I could think of from shouting commands to doing weird poses or hand gestures. Turns out, it works base on my thoughts and intent and experimenting with my spell went smoothly from there.

I learned that in order to store things, I need to hold the object and think of it being stored away, which is the easiest part of the spell. To do that, I just imagine tossing the stuff inside a box in my head and poof, it's gone. I also don't have to worry about forgetting what I have stored because there's something at the back of my mind reminding me of all the stuff I have in my storage. Best part is that it only reminds me when I want to know what I have stored so I don't have to deal with it always being at the back of my head.

As cool as the skill is, there's a limit on what I could store. The spell description specifically said I could only store weapons, armors and equipment so I can't store things like food, water, or other things that isn't related to what's on the small list. I was immensely disappointed at how limited my options are and that it's not like an inventory system a game has.

But, being the cunt that I am, I found a loophole immediately. Bags are considered as equipment and the spell doesn't care what's in the bag at all. That said, all I had to do is to stuff all the other stuff inside a bag and store it into the magic space which I tend to refer to as my storage. Weird, but who cares since I no longer have to drag things around anymore.

To get it back however, I need a clear image of what I want in my mind in order to make things appear. That process takes slightly more concentration and I have to stay still or it won't work. Which is one of the reasons why I won't be using it the middle of a fight.

Sure being able to summon any kind of weapon to fit the situation might sound good on paper, but to utilize it, I would be sacrificing a bit of time and concentration that could be better use to end the fight quicker.

I've counted how long it'll take to change the item in my hand too. It takes roughly 3 seconds total. A total of 1.5 second to disperse the one in hand and another 1.5 to summon a new one.

With the way my spell is, I'll be better off summoning what I need before a fight begins. But utility wise, I couldn't ask for a better spell. Sure it's not as flashy as other spells out there but at least it's useful for someone like me as I can bring everything I want and no longer need to worry about being over encumbered. I'm already carrying all our other stuffs that normally would've weight us down like bags, provisions, extra arrows and potions right now. It can also work as a safe place to store things too since the things inside WA won't get damaged.

And that's all I know about it. I only had the spell for one night after all so there's still so much to learn about it.

There's still so many questions that I have regarding it. Is there a limit on how much I could carry? What classifies as an equipment? If I store food inside a bag, will it spoil while inside WA? Can the items I summon be used while mid materialization? How much can I use before I suffer the consequences of overusing magic called mind down? I have a feeling that there could be more exploits to discover and I won't be satisfied until I find them all.

But the answer to those questions will have to come later once we're done with our little excursion. Who knows, with enough practice I might be able to get it down to the point where I can use it while moving around or shorten the time it takes to make things appear.

"Let's keep going. The sooner we get back the sooner we can see how much stats you've gained from today's excursion." I told her as I started walking again and she nodded with a glint of excitement in her eyes as she follows closely.

**-0-**

**Orario-En Route To Guild**

**-0-**

"I see that someone's happy." I commented with an amused smile as I observe Naaza walking beside me as we move along the busy street of Orario. I can tell that she's in high spirits right now because she actually have a noticeable wide smile on her lips ever since we stepped out of the Dungeon. I suppose being able to breath fresh air and feeling the warmth of the sun's rays could do that to you once you've been underground for a whole day.

Seeing her being so excited when walking beside me, I can't help but compare it to when I'm walking my dog back on earth.

Our trip back to the surface was generally uneventful with Naaza doing most of the killing as always. However, there was a point where I needed to fight as well since the group we encountered was too big and Naaza couldn't pick them off fast enough before they reached us. Naaza killed what she could and I took care of the rest. Other than that, there's not much to note.

"Mn. We managed to kill a lot of monsters today and return safe and sound." Naaza replied, tail wagging slightly behind her back. "I just wish we could've gone deeper into the Dungeon though. The monsters on the 4th floor doesn't provide much. We could've gotten much more magic stones and better loot had we gone lower." She complained in her usual soft voice that held a hint of disappointment.

"I see. Well, after seeing your performance today, I have no reason to keep holding you back." I told her, causing her to snap her face towards me with a look of surprise on her face.

"Does that mean….?" she tailed off, the question left unsaid but I understood what she wanted to know anyway.

"Yes, we'll start making our way lower into the Dungeon starting tomorrow. But slowly." I quickly added before she could get too excited. "Don't expect us to just jump straight to the 9th floor all of the sudden when you're still getting over your fear of monsters Naaza-chan." I told her, causing her to pout slightly at me.

"I'm getting better." She muttered unhappily with a small whine, her tail hanging listlessly behind her.

Wanting to cheer her up, I place a hand on her head and started to slowly rub it, caressing her ears in a way that I know she loves. It worked immediately as her tail started to wag again. "Yes, yes you are. And I'm proud of you for being so brave and facing your fear head on like you did back there. I know for certain that if we keep this up, you'll be able to face monsters without any problem once you fully gotten over your trauma. You're plenty strong already. We're only going this slow because I'm a worrywart. You could be the highest level Adventurer out there and I'd still worry about you when you encounter goblins on the first floor." I told her.

Truth be told, with her skills in the field, we'd have no trouble traversing the 10th floor safely so long as we remained careful and alert. But one does not easily forget the moment where your little sister had her arm ripped off by an infant dragon in front of your very eyes. It tends to make one...very protective.

My words seem to have made Naaza feel better as she nodded with a proud look on her face which in turn made me feel better as she's no longer sulking about it.

"So, how's your old gear holding up? I noticed that you kept adjusting the strap for your cuirass. Did it break or something?" I asked her after letting go of her head.

Naaza's eyes widen slightly before she replied quickly. "It's fine." Did I imagine it or did her face get a bit red back there? Either way, her reply was very suspicious and it requires some investigating.

"Naaza-chan, have you forgotten what I've told you before? If there's something wrong, don't hide it. If it's something I can do to help then I'd rather we deal with it now than having it becoming a problem later down the line."

Naaza pouted a bit before she gained a contemplative look. She appears to be seriously considering on whether or not she wants tell me what's bothering her. "It's really nothing Nii-san. It's just a bit tight, particularly around the chest area. I might need to get a new one soon." Naaza murmured quietly, almost too quiet to be heard within a crowded street. She had her eyes set firmly downward, not meeting my gaze at all, blushing mildly at what she had just said.

Oh. I see. So that's the reason why she's so reluctant to tell me. "Did you get fat or something?" I replied with a straight face.

Naaza started fuming angrily and pounding me with her fists while I started backing away from her relentless assault while laughing lightly.

"I kid, I kid. Please forgive me." I said while raising both my hands in a gesture of surrender. "You're a growing girl after all so it's something we'll have to deal with eventually. Tell you what, once we muster enough funds, we'll go and find you a new set of armor to wear."

Naaza cross her arms together and look away with an angry huff. "Don't forget to get one for yourself." She said, still not looking at me.

"Of course." I replied with a smile. Oh Naaza, even when she's mad at me she stills look out for me.

We continue on our way to the Guild while talking about today's trip in the Dungeon, going over things that we could've done differently and what we should do to prepare for tomorrow.

**-0-**

**Orario- Guild, Magic Stone Exchange**

**-0-**

"What!? It's only worth 10 thousand valis!? Bullshit!" A hand slam itself down on the table as an Adventurer argues with the Guild staff about the price of his spoils he had brought in. From the look of things, he isn't happy at all with the price and looks determine to argue with the staff until he gets his way.

It appears that the Adventurer is in the middle of haggling with the staff, a skill of which he appears to be terrible at.

Normally, bartering with the staffs to get a better deal for what you have is normal and many Adventurers had tried it. But it rarely works in the Adventurer's favor as the Guild staffs who work at the exchange all have the necessary experience and a keen eye for details to properly gauge the price of your items. Adventurers tend to give up and go along with the price they were given after a try or two but this guy? This guy seem like he doesn't know the meaning of giving up.

Not to mention that he's also being very pushy and shouting a lot which in turn, made the staff he's shouting at annoyed at his behavior and their shouting match has been progressively getting louder as time goes on.

Everyone knows that you aren't suppose to insult the person you're trying to barter with but not this guy apparently. He had been saying shit about the staff, his coworkers, his family and even his dog in the last two minute.

Unless of course, he's using some new haggling technique that I've never heard about then in which case, I'd like to observe and learn some more to see if it's applicable for myself. That is, if I had time to waste.

Sadly, I don't because I still have to be at the Hostess of Fertility before nightfall. Thus, I should just go about my business and exchange what I have for money and leave. However, there is a problem that prevents me from doing just that. The Adventurer is currently using the counter that I frequent and my good old buddy looks like he's one insult away from throttling the Adventurer. Seeing that I actually know the guy, it's best if I help him out before he does and put himself at risk of losing his job. Or life.

He's a basically a civilian going against an Adventurer so the outcome is pretty much already set in stone. Since some asshat decided that you can't be in a Familia if you want to work in the Guild, all Guild employees are regular civilians and the people they will be dealing with on a daily basis are all super powered people.

I really wonder who thought it was a good idea for that? They'd be in deep shit if they have to deal with the volatile ones.

Then again, there is the issue regarding loyalty if they are in a Familia. If they are in one then they'll answer to their God or Goddess first and foremost before the Guild and they'd have to spill every little secret that they discover while working there if their deity ever asked. Hmm, maybe that asshat has the right idea after all….

"Maybe we should use another counter instead?" Naaza suggested after watching the two argue for a while. We are currently standing quite far off to the side, just observing and not really doing much.

"We could but this is the only guy I trust not to rip me off so…." I trailed off as I gesture at the staff.

"Then maybe we could come back later? It doesn't look like they're going to finish anytime soon."

"True enough. How about you go find Misha for now." I told her without taking my eyes off the two arguing men.

"What for?" Naaza asked curiously.

"I need you to inform her that we're partying up for me and ask if we're clear to go deeper into the Dungeon now that we're going into the Dungeon together."

Naaza nodded in reply before posing another question. "Since you're obviously trying to get me to leave, what will you be doing Nii-san?" She asked dryly.

"I'm going to save the staff before he does something he'd regret obviously." I replied nonchalantly

Naaza frowned upon hearing my answer. "You're going to get in trouble." She told me, a bit of worry lacing her tone.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure not to escalate anything. Besides, even if I somehow messed up and made the guy even more angry, he'll have no idea who I am so long as no one mentions my name. Nor will he be able to tell which Familia I'm in since this is the exact reason why I don't wear our Familia's emblem on me." I reassured her.

"I'll feel a lot better if you didn't try to be a hero and get your butt kicked but I know better than to argue with your bullheadedness." She said, earning an indignant 'hey!' from me which she ignored. "Will you at least be careful?"

"Of course I will. I'll even hide my face if that'll make you feel better." I offered.

"Hmm. It will make things harder for people looking for you if you messed up but what will you use? We don't have anything on hand right now that works as a disguise."

"That's a good point...no wait! I do have something." I replied with a grin as I recall having something in my inventory that would work well as a disguise.

I look around to see if anyone is looking at me and as luck would have it, everyone is too enthralled by the spectacle going on at the counter to really pay any attention to me. I took the chance to discreetly summon my bag and pull out a neatly folded black cloth.

Naaza look the cloth in my hand, clearly wondering just what I intent to do with it.

Without wasting any time, I quickly drape the cloth over my head wrap it around my body like a cloak. Then I fastened the ends around my neck together to keep my impromptu cloak together with a bobby pin that I always have on hand. I mostly have it for lock picking purposes but for this case, it'll serve as a clip to hold things together like it's originally intended for.

"How's this?" I asked as I showed her my new and admittedly lame disguise.

Naaza gave my disguise a good long look before she finally replied, sounding somewhat put off for some reason. "I can't see your face."

"Great!" I replied with a grin as I put my bag back into my storage. "It's just what I'm going for."

"No. I mean, I literally can't see your face at all. It's like a mass of shadow is blocking your face from view like a veil, like it's actually a tangible thing now. How is that even possible?" She told me with a confused and worried expression as her hands were gesturing at my face frantically.

"Seriously?" I uttered out in surprise as well as feeling quite impressed that something like that happened just because I put on a hood. I quickly move my hand to my face to check if I can actually touch the shadow that Naaza is talking about. The answer is no, much to my disappointment. "So you're saying that you can't see my face, like, at all?" I ask her as I let my hand down.

"That's what I've been saying. It's like a pitch black shadow in place of your face." Naaza took the chance to lean her face closer to mine and started peering at my face with narrowed eyes. Her eyes widen slightly as if she had just discovered something and peel her face back again. "I can see your face once I'm near enough though. Is it your skill's handiwork somehow? It's like how you tend to vanish from sight whenever you're standing in the shadows in the distance."

Seriously? My skill can work this way as well? Wow, stealth op, please don't nerf. I'm going to need to experiment with this once I have the time, preferably in front of a mirror so I could see for myself just how it works. But for now, there's a Guild staff that I need to save.

I simply offer Naaza a shrug. "Let's not look to deep into this for now. Just go find Misha while I do my thing, I'll meet up with you once I'm done." I told her while ushering her to leave.

"Okay, please be careful Nii-san and don't do anything stupid." Naaza told me before going her own way towards the receptionist area.

I watch her leave and disappear from sight before I made my move. With Naaza gone, I don't have to worry about her getting caught up in the mess if do I mess up and I start thinking on how to best defuse the situation as quickly and smoothly as possible.

I observe the Adventurer, taking in any details about him that I could as well as profiling his behavior so I could predict how he'd react if I were to do something. From what I can see, he has poor quality equipment on him and the loot on the table seem like they're from monsters on the sixth floor. Evidences before me points to him being a level one.

But unless I could take a glance at his Falna, I can't be completely certain. But logically speaking, it's very unlikely that he's a level 2 using piss poor equipment on purpose and hunting on beginner floors and then arguing about how little money he's getting for his troubles.

It also didn't take much to tell that he's a typical bully. But that's fine. Guys like him are just full of hot air. All you need to do is to look intimidating enough and they'll back off. It won't solve the issue about their behavior but at least they won't be bothering you anymore. Until they find some friends to back them up that is. Well, since no one can see my face right now I'm pretty sure he won't be able to find me even if he did find some friends.

However, since I don't really feel like talking to someone like him right now since it'll most likely take a lot of time so I'm going to go with plan B instead.

I walk up next to him and immediately deck him at the jaw. It worked flawlessly as always and the guy was out cold instantly and slump forward and crush his face into the counter before sliding down against it. Now his entire body is laying against it in an awkward angle. I imagine he'd have a severe case of back pain once he woke up so I decided to be nice to the people I knocked out for once and use my leg to adjust him so he would be laying more comfortably.

Now he just looks like he's doing a ballet move on the floor.

"Hey!" The Guild staff cried out after witnessing an assault in broad daylight.

"Hi." I replied. "You looked like you were in trouble so I figured I should help. No need to thank me, I'm just doing my good deed of the day."

"Sir, knocking someone unconscious just because he was being difficult doesn't count as a good deed." The staff explained with a tired sigh. "Even with good intentions, I'll have to report this assault and record it down on your profile since I witness it first hand. It'll be a permanent mark in your dossier."

I raised an incredulous eyebrow at the man even though he couldn't see it. Seriously? Well I can't have that. It'll make getting quests harder in the future because they'll think that I'm a violent person. I look at the unconscious man before look back at the staff. "He slipped and knocked himself out." I replied.

"Really? Even though I saw you knock him out right before my eyes?" The staff said with a deadpan.

"Yep, he totally slipped." I replied steadfastly.

The staff let out a snort before deciding to move on and not pursue the matter further. "Of course Sir, I must've been seeing things." He told me. Looks like there's no love lost between the two there. "So how may I help you today? Do you have any magic stones or monster drops you would like to exchange?"

"Yeeeep. By the way, why are you calling me Sir all of the sudden? Have you forgotten me already just because I didn't come by for a few days?" I said as I remove the hood of my cloak for a brief moment before putting it back on. I am still standing next to an unconscious dude after all, don't need people remembering my face if I could help it.

"Wait, Cain-kun!?" He exclaimed in surprise, most likely not expecting to see me at all.

"The one and only." I replied with a grin with my hands placed on my hips.

The staff narrowed his eyes as he examine the cloak that I'm wearing. "Is that a burial shroud?" He asked after a short moment, sounding skeptical. As expected of someone who works at the exchange counter, he noticed it easily. Other people would just think it's a regular black cloak just by looking at it.

"Yep. It's just a precaution to hide my face just in case that guy's friends are nearby."

"Erm, don't you feel weird wearing something that's used to cover the deceased?" He asked, looking at me in concern.

"Not really." I offered a simple shrug. It's not like I didn't have to bury myself in a pile of dead people just to hide from enemies before. "Before I forget, what's this guy's problem and do I have to worry about his friends coming after me for what I did to him?" I asked as I jerk my head towards the man on the floor.

"Nah, he's from the Soma Familia so you're safe." He informed me.

"I see." I nodded, feeling a wave of relief washing over me now that I know that there wouldn't be any retribution from this guy's Familia. It also explains just why he seems so desperate for money.

I don't know much about Soma's Familia other than what's already well known by the general public but it's enough to know how they operate. The members of Soma Familia are rather infamous nowadays for using any underhanded tricks just to get as much money as possible. They also have this habit of backstabbing each other just for a bit more coin. They're more likely rob the guy I knocked out blind first before they even offer a hand, and even then they would have ulterior motives for doing so.

They're not desperate enough to target other people outside of their Familia for fear of retribution yet so people generally left them alone to self-destruct.

In short, they're greedy as fuck and nothing but trouble. Not sure why they're so eager to get more coins but you're fine so long as you steer clear of them.

"Since he's no longer a problem, you think I can exchange my stuff now?" I asked.

"Sure, let's sure what you got." He gestured at the counter before him and I discreetly summon my bag full of loot underneath my cloak and lay everything out for him.

He examine the magic stones and monster drop that I have and place 15000 Valis on the table for me. I took it and put it into my coin pouch. "Thanks a lot...you." I said, preparing to leave to find Naaza.

"You?" He uttered out, looking at me like he wants an explanation.

"Look, I'll be frank with you here. I don't really know your name." I told him.

"What!? Cain-kun, you've been seeing me almost everyday for half a year! How could you not know my name?" The man exclaimed in shock before shooting me a hurtful look.

"No offense but you're not a pretty lady so I can't be bothered to." I replied with a deadpan.

"Huh. Fair enough." He nodded understandingly. "Well, since we're already at it, my name is-"

"Oh look at the time! Gotta go. See ya whoever you are." I interrupted him and quickly turn around and run away towards the receptionist area.

"Hey! Cain-kun! You could at least make an effort to remember me damn you!" His voice cried out but I ignore it with ease and went to find my little sister. "What am I going to do with this guy you knocked out!?"

**-0-**

I found Naaza in the middle of chatting with Misha at her counter as I made my way over to the receptionist area. Misha saw me and started waving like a madwoman as usual. She seemed more enthusiastic than before today and is beaming at me, slightly hopping on her spot like an excited puppy. I smiled slightly and gave her a small wave in return.

By now, I had already stored my cloak away so I'll be easier to spot. I also found out something new about my magic along the way by accident. Turns out, I don't have to hold onto the item for my spell to work on it, it just have to be in physical contact with me.

I just thought it would be nice to have the cloak stored away without having to take it off and poof, it's gone. It was just an idle thought actually, wasn't really expecting anything to happen but hey, at least I learned something new about WA which is always good.

Also, my spell is telling me that my impromptu cloak is now registered as an equipment, which is new. Does this mean I turn other things that normally don't classify as equipment into one? Does this hold true to weapons and armors as well?

Ah well, a question for another time I suppose.

"Hey Misha-san." I greeted the pink haired girl.

"Cain-san! It's good to see you again." She replied with a cheery smile. "Naaza-san has already inform me about the party you two are in. I'm happy that you finally decided not to be a loner anymore. I always get worried when you went on your trips into the Dungeon on your own without anyone watching your back. But now I can relax a bit more knowing that Naaza will be at your side and keeping you from getting into any trouble."

"Wait, me? Shouldn't it the other way around instead?"

"Psh, of course not. Everyone knows that Naaza here is the responsible one." Misha replied with a smirk, causing Naaza to smile smugly at me.

I roll my eyes at them before asking them a question. "So, what were you two talking about before I barged in?"

"Oh! I was about to tell Naaza what floors you two can go together but since you're here I might as well inform you as well."

"Neat. So which floors can we go to?" I asked in curiosity, wondering if it's the 12th or something.

"The 10th." Misha told me.

"Only the 10th?" I repeated in obvious disappointment. I was hoping that we could go lower than that since I've already been to that floor already. But I've read the requirements regarding the Dungeon floors already and I know for a fact that with both me and Naaza's stats, we should be allowed to enter much deeper than the 10th.

Misha decided to explained more on her answer after seeing the questioning look I had on my face. "Oh, it's not because you two aren't capable or anything, trust me. I know that with both your stats, you would be able to handle the monsters on the 13th just fine. I'm currently limiting you both to the 10th for now just to be on the safe side. It's been a while since Naaza actually did any fighting right? I'd rather give her some time to get use to the Dungeon first before letting you two go deeper."

"I see." I simply nodded in acceptance as her point is valid even though I'm already taking steps in getting Naaza accustomed to the Dungeon and it's inhabitants. I just remembered that Misha knew about Naaza's trauma. It would explain why she's not letting us venture deeper seeing that she's also looking out for Naaza in her own way. I guess it must've been a surprise for her when Naaza suddenly appeared and told her about the party that we're forming.

"By the way, Nii-san, how did it go? Did anything bad happened?" Naaza asked while tugging at my sleeve to get my attention.

"Nah. Everything went smoothly actually." I said as I gave her a reassuring grin.

"Oh? Did something happen?" Misha asked, looking clueless at what we're talking about and not even bothering to hide her interest.

"Nothing much. Just that someone from Soma's Familia was causing a racket at the exchange and I had to _convince_ him to leave."

"Really?" Misha gained a worried look for a second there but it was gone after she gave me a once over and found that I'm completely fine. "Well I'm glad that you're okay but you should've just left it for the staffs to handle Cain-san. I've only ever heard bad things about them so I'm worried that they might do something to you because you made them mad."

"Aww, you don't have to worry about a single thing Misha. He didn't even see me at all." I told her with a confident smile.

Naaza tilt her head sightly in confusion. "Wait, how can you convince him to leave if he didn't see you?"

_Oops._ Realizing that I've just said something that I shouldn't have and that I'll get nag on if I ever told them what I did, I chose to pretend not to her Naaza's question and change the subject as quickly as I can. It was at that moment I noticed Eina coming over while carrying a stack of papers. Convenient escape found! "Oh look! It's Eina." I quickly pointed towards the half-elf, causing the pink haired Guild member to turn her attention towards where I am pointing as well as earning a suspicious stare from Naaza. Misha seem to go pale all of the sudden when she spotted the stack of papers that Eina is carrying and looked all resigned for some reason.

Eina, having seen us long before on her way over, merely showed a small smile and gave me a nod. "Hello Cain-san, it's good to see you again. And you as well Naaza-san." Eina greeted us with a smile once she reached us.

"Hi./Hello Tulle-san." We both replied and watch in amusement as Misha's look of despair grow when Eina place the stack of paper on her desk.

"W-wait a minute! Just why are you giving me so much work in one go Eina!?" Misha cried out with a whine, giving her friend her a teary eyed look as though she had just been told that her favorite snacks were all sold out.

"Well, since a certain someone hasn't been paying attention at all during work these past few days, she got most all of her documents wrong." Eina told her sternly, sounding very annoyed and causing Misha to wince with a bit before showing a sheepish expression. "Because of that, Rehmer-san told me to get everything over to you and tell you to redo them all before you can clock out."

Eina's words caused Misha to blench significantly as she slowly look down at the not so insignificant amount of paperwork on her desk. From the look of things, I wouldn't be wrong to say that it's a few days of work all piled up right before her eyes.

Instead of working on it right away, Misha opt to slump against her desk in despair with dark clouds hanging over her head, causing the stack of paper to sway dangerously in place but thankfully didn't topple over. "Uuu, it's not fair… There's so much to do that it's just impossible to finish before the day ends. It's impossible! Impossible I say! Just by looking at all it is already making me unmotivated. At this rate I'll be stuck here until the sun comes up." Misha complained with piteous tears running down her eyes.

"That doesn't sound like you Misha." I spoke up while looking at the pink haired girl with a confused quirk of my eyebrow. "You're usually very diligent in what you do and tackle your work with great enthusiasm. What changed?"

Misha sat back up after I spoke to her and starts to scratch the back of her head sheepishly with a small blush on her face. "Ehehe. It just…. one of those days I guess?" Misha replied rather hesitantly.

Something tells me that she isn't telling me the truth but since she didn't want to say anything about it, I guess I shouldn't pry too much. Still, Misha has done so much for me ever since I got put into her care so I should at least offer some support to show how much I appreciate her help. "Well, if there's anything I can help you with don't hesitate to call on me for help, alright? You've done so much for me already Misha-san, I wouldn't even be as I am now without you, so at very least let me do something for you in return." I told her seriously.

Misha seem to have brighten up immensely from my words and looks incredibly happy. "S-sure. I'll be sure to call you if I ever need your help on something." She replied somewhat bashfully, a wide smile gracing her face. "But not right now thought. This is my own problem so I have to solve it on my own. I'm sure that if I put my mind to it, I'll be able to defeat the mountainous stack!"

"You wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if you hadn't been spending these past few nights bingeing on that novel of yours." Eina remarked with a small smirk.

"E-Eina! Don't go and tell Cain-san that." Misha quietly hissed at the half-elf with a panicked and embarrassed look on her face.

"Seriously?" I gave the girl a disapproving frown that basically said you ought to know better than that.

Misha seem to shrink in her seat under my gaze. "It was a great story." Misha muttered quietly, looking sad and miserable while poking her index fingers together.

After seeing how sad Misha is, Eina decided to toss her the bone. "No one said you have to do everything on your own Misha. I'll be helping you do half of your assignments." Eina told the girl, causing her to snap her entire body towards her with a look of surprise on her face.

Then Misha just leap off her seat and envelope Eina into a tight hug, firing rapid 'thank you's in a row while crying tears of joy. Eina just gave the girl an amused roll of her eyes and pat her back for a bit.

Smiling at the scene, I decided that it's time for us to leave and not disturb them so they could finish their work faster. "Well, we gotta go so good luck on your task you two." I said while gesturing to Naaza that we should leave.

We both turn around and went straight back home, leaving the two to their tedious paperwork.

**-0-**

**Three days later**

**-0-**

Three days had passed since Naaza and I started going into the Dungeon together and things has been going smoothly thus far. We went a bit deeper each time as I had promised Naaza and she's been working hard to increase her stats, killing any monsters that we see.

Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, she still froze up more often than not when a monster got too close but that's where I step in and do my part. It's only been a few day so it's too soon for any drastic improvement on that part.

We quickly settled into a routine that's easy for both of us to follow. Breakfast at morning and pre-Dungeon diving checks and preparation. Then we spend as much time as we can in the Dungeon, gaining kills and collecting loot while taking breaks as needed. Then we head back when it starts to get late. I would go to the pub to work while Naaza returns to the shop to do what's needed of her which concludes our day together.

I also had a checklist to go through before I go to sleep. My time before bed would consist of spamming WA until I start to feel woozy just to just squeeze in a bit more to increase my Magic stat. Truth be told, it's kind of hard to gauge how much MP (It's apparently called Mind in this world but that sounds stupid so I'll refer it to MP in my head) I have at first and I sort of knock myself out during the first time.

It was a good thing I was already laying in bed while it happened but sadly, my hand was stretch outwards and the item I was summoning fell onto my face as I lost conscious. Thankfully, I wasn't summoning anything dangerous so I wasn't hurt that badly, just a sore nose when I woke up.

But after the first time of experiencing Mind down, the term people use when they ran out of MP, I got the hang of the feeling so I know when to quit while I still can.

Although we have a good rhythm going for us as we traverse the Dungeon daily to gain experience, something is bound to happen that would cause us to change our plans for the day. Which is why I'm not with Naaza today as I make my way towards the pub at some point in the afternoon.

As someone who helps make potions in the shop, Naaza isn't available to enter the Dungeon 24/7 like me and had to help out sometimes to replenish our potion stock once we're running out. Of course, Miach can do it himself but that would mean leaving the shop closed as you can't really stop in the middle of potion making just to deal with customers.

Of course, seeing that she can't go, she also made it a rule that I can't enter the Dungeon on my own because I need supervision. Miach being Miach, he agreed whole heartedly because he would feel a lot better knowing that Naaza will be watching my back if we go together.

Is kind of unfair in my opinion but it's two against one so I had to suck it up and sulk about it privately instead.

As for why I'm going to be pub right now, it's because I'm running an errand for Syr. She saw me wandering around with nothing to do and proceeded to ask me to help her with something. Me being bored, I agreed without hearing what she needed me to do but as luck would have it, it's nothing crazy like the previous few times I agreed to her requests without hearing about the specifics first.

Last time led to me chasing a bunch of chickens around the orphanage which according to Syr, appeared out of nowhere. I managed to round up a few of them but some managed to escape out into town, probably sowing confusion and leaving messes and feathers in their wake.

Strange case of randomly teleporting chickens aside, this errand is a whole lot simpler and merely consist of purchasing some hair dye which I have on hand right now. Apparently, it's for the elf.

I was told that the elf woke up three days ago but didn't bother to go and check on her seeing that she's already being looked after by Syr and Mama Mia. It's also because I don't want to be near her unless necessary seeing that she's scary and could easily kill me if she ever found out that I saw her naked. However, there's a chance that I could be wrong about the elf. She could actually be a nice person and might forgive me instead but I'm not going to take that chance if I don't have to.

With that in mind, I would try and put as much distance between us until I get to know her better and that the chances of me dying by her hand is close to null.

Hmm, now that I think about it, I never did ask how Syr managed to get the elf to agree to work at the pub. Ah well, I'll ask her when I get the chance.

"Hey Mama Mia." I greeted the pub's owner when I saw her after I step into the building.

"Oh, Cain. Back already I see. Syr is upstairs in Ryuu's room right now so go ahead and give it to her there." Mia told me. She's currently in the middle of arranging mugs behind the bar.

"Ryuu? Is that the elf's name?" I asked as my eyes automatically scan the surrounding area out of habit and saw that the pub is empty save for the two of us. It's not that weird seeing that it's in the middle of the afternoon right now so the pub is on it's break period.

The Hostess of Fertility actually doesn't open from morning until late at night. They close down after lunch hour to allow the employees some time to rest for their evening shift. But they do have days when they're open for a full day like during the weekend or when there's some kind of holiday or festival is going on. I don't see any other staffs around here right now so they must've gone out to relax or is taking a snooze in their own room. We still have an hour or so before the pub opens up again so I'll be seeing them trickle in shortly.

"Sure is." Mia confirmed my question as I walk towards the stairs, trying to think if I had heard that name before. Sadly, it doesn't ring any bells.

I continue to make my way towards the elf's room unhindered and stopped in front of her door. I put my hand on the knob and twist it open. I barely got the door open about an inch or so before my instincts blared at me to dodge.

It was a good thing that I did because a hole appeared at the door where my head would be and I saw something fly past my face and embedded itself into the wall behind me. There was a girlish 'eep' coming from inside the room right as the door gained the hole that sounded like Syr's.

I quickly spun around to see just what went by me and saw a small fruit knife embedded deep into the wall. I quirk an eyebrow at the sight, completely unperturbed by the fact that I've almost lost my head. I noticed that there's some wetness trailing down my cheek and use my thumb to wipe it.

Yep. That's blood alright. Something tells me that our resident elf was the one who did that. It wasn't that hard to guess really since it's only Syr and her in there. No idea why though. "Ryuu! You shouldn't be tossing around sharp objects like that!" I heard Syr scold unhappily, confirming my theory. "You could hurt someone."

After pulling out the knife and checking the damage the building had sustained, I simply open the door fully with an annoyed look on my face since Mama Mia would most likely tell me to patch it up and replace the door. "But-" whatever the elf was going to say was interrupted by me as I entered the room.

Once I'm inside, I immediately spotted the two occupants in the middle of the room and one of them is looking warily at me while the other had her back turned to me. It also didn't take long to figure out just why the knife was tossed because the elf hastily put on the pub's uniform properly and started buttoning it. She must've seen the door open while in the middle of changing.

I suppose that it's my bad then. I would've apologize but almost losing my head made me moody so I didn't. Instead, I merely shot her an annoyed look before turning to Syr. By the way, Mama Mia removed the elf's stitches for her so there's no need for Syr or me to do it. She healed perfectly too, not a single scar in sight from what I could see just now.

"Syr, here's the thing you wanted me to buy." I call out to the waitress and lift up the paper bag in my hand that contained the dye.

"Oh." Syr let out when she heard my voice, most likely realizing just why Ryuu toss a knife at the door as well. "Cain-san! You should've knocked first." Syr said as she turn around to face me. "Ryuu could've-" Then her eyes widen slightly when her eyes landed on me. "You're hurt." She said in a worriedly.

"It's just a scratch. It'll be gone after a day." I wave off her worry and move in to pass the bag into her hand, ignoring the elf who was looking at my presence here in confusion. She seems like she doesn't know what to do with me here and has settled with just observing me for now.

"If you say so..." Syr said uncertainly as she accept the bag. "Thanks a lot Cain-san. With this we'll be able to help our new friend." She said as she open it and took out the small cylinder container inside that holds the dye. "Oh, you chose green for her." Syr commented as she study the label on the container.

"Well, she already has a lot of green equipment so I thought why not?" I replied with a shrug. I originally thought about buying a bright pink one as a joke at first but thought better of it. While I might get a laugh out of it once she found out that it's pink, I might only get about two ha's out before my life expires. "So, what else are you going to use to aid in her disguise."

"This is it. This is all we'll be using." Syr told me as she wave the dye in her hand.

"Seriously? Her entire disguise is only going to be the changing her hair color?" I said incredulously.

"Yep." Syr nodded. "Oh, there's also a change of clothing too in case you've forgotten." She added as an afterthought. She seemed quite confident that it would work so who knows, it actually might.

You know, now that I think about it, according from the reports on Gale Wind's profile, no one has actually seen her face before on account of her always wearing a hood and a mask. There might be a few that did but what are the odds of them still remembering her looks after a period of time. So the only way people would actually recognize Gale Wind nowadays is by her equipment so getting rid of it and changing her hair color as an extra precaution might actually work. Bloody hell, you'll achieve the same effect by simply slapping a pair of spectacles on her and calling it a day. It's called the Clark Kent Effect.

"You know Syr, I think you might be on to something here." I said, causing the gray haired girl to beamed happily.

"I know right." Syr puff out her chest proudly.

"Syr," Ryuu spoke up, drawing our attention to her and I noticed that her eyes were filled with distrust as she stare at me, body tensed and ready to attack if necessary. I noticed that there's a bit of guilt there as well when she look at the small cut on my cheek so she isn't all that heartless. "Who is this?" She asked our resident busybody while I try to imagine her with green hair. Yep, it will work alright. So long as no one looks too closely of course.

"Oh, silly me. I forgot about the introductions. Ryuu-san, this is Cain-san. Full name Cain Musashi. He also works here from time to time so I hope you both get along well." Syr told the elf as she gesture at me with one hand.

"And Cain-san, this is Ryuu Lyon, our newest addition to the Waitress Coalition."

I gave the elf a polite nod and she return one of her own before I turn to Syr with a quirked eyebrow. "You're still calling yourselves that?" I asked with a bit of humor in my voice. I originally called them that as a joke but Syr took a liking to it and started referring the entire staff as that ever since. She doesn't even know what it means too.

"Yep. It sounds cool." Syr replied with sparkles in her eyes.

"Well, so long as you don't count me in it then it's all fine. Anyway, I doubt I'll be needed here anymore so have fun with the dyeing part. I'll be downstairs helping Mama Mia prepare the pub." I said as I turn to walk away.

"Alright. We'll be down when we're ready." Syr said before addressing Ryuu. "Ryuu-san, please take a seat so we can get started."

I walk to the door and stop when I saw the hole in it and remembered something that I forgot to say to the elf. I turn back around to find Ryuu sitting on a chair, looking uncertain and uncomfortable while Syr is behind her preparing the dye with a big smile on her face.

"Lyon-san." I call out to her, causing her to look at me. Our eyes met and I simply point at the hole at the door which coincidentally show the other hole outside. "You're paying for the holes that you've made." I deadpanned.

"Kuhh..." My words seem to physically hurt her as she recoiled slightly. Somehow, I have a feeling that I'll be hearing that pained sound lot in these coming days.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Okay, first off: Sorry Fate fans, but no Gate of Babylon or Unlimited Blade Works for Cain.**

**Secondly, to the shippers out there: Hold your horses there fellas. It's still quite early in the story so we'll see how this goes. I find it amazing that people are already shipping Ryuu and Cain together when they barely even talked. If it's enough to get them so worked up then I suppose this chapter would be considered a tease for those Cain X Ryuu shippers out there. Does the ship even have a name yet though?**

**Thirdly, to the one complaining about Cain's nonexistent sex drive: Who knows? Maybe it's because he's over 50 mentally or has done lots of depraved stuff back on earth to survive to the point where he's psyche is so damaged that things like lust, pleasure and sex became foreign concepts to him? Or, it could just be that I'm terrible at writing romance and smut and thus, rendered Cain into a dude without a functioning dick so I don't bother with it?**

**Truly, the lack of his sex drive is a mystery that whichever girl is interested in him will have to figure out on their own if they even want to bed him. However, I won't make it easy for them at all for I, the author, will be the ultimate cockblocker for them. Mwa ha ha. XD**

**-0-**

**Orario- Hostess of Fertility**

**-0-**

Today is the day where our newly appointed waitress gets to learn to ropes of her role and no one is more excited about it than Anya and Syr. The rest of the staffs are just waiting for the shitshow that's to come that's normally associated with a new waitress learning her duties. They even have medical supplies as well as spare furniture and utensils on standby already.

Anya had expressed great interest in getting to know Ryuu and being her senpai. She had been talking to me about it ever since we first picked up the elf. She wanted to teach her everything she knows and wants to build up an image of being a reliable senpai to Ryuu. Since this is Anya that we're talking about, it's going to fail spectacularly in some way, shape, or form like it did the last time a new girl joined. Just like the many other times before that.

After dyeing the elf's hair, I saw Syr bringing her down into the kitchen to get started. I paid them no mind and simply minded my own business by cooking meals for the customers.

Right now the pub has just open for the evening so there isn't a lot of people yet. It's the perfect time to slowly ease Ryuu into the tasks that's expected of her.

The first task that ever new girl has to undergo is peeling vegetables and is more or less a rite of passage for the new girls. It's not hard to do and it'll let them keep their minds off things by giving them something to do, very useful distraction if that girl is carrying some baggage with her. It also gives them time to slowly let the fact that they're really working here now sink in before Mama Mia gives them more and more things to do to keep them busy.

"Well then. Please peel all of these if you would." I heard Syr said right behind me.

"Understood." Ryuu replied and I heard the sound of a bowl being placed on the table before she went on to do her task.

Things in the kitchen went on normally enough after that. I could only hear the sounds of food being made and the staffs communicating about customers' orders so everyone would know what to do in order to keep things going smoothly in the kitchen.

Then, amongst the harmonious sounds normally produced by a busy kitchen, I heard Anya spoke. "Hey newbie. Don't you know how to peel vegetables nya?"

"No. I've always been task with setting the table." Ryuu replied.

"I see nya. Well I can't leave you alone with things the way there are nya. You'll just cut yourself if you use your knife like that nya." Anya said, most likely looking very proud that she gets to help the newbie. I started wondering if I should leave it to Anya because she'll most likely get something wrong or just confuse the poor elf with her inability to explain things properly.

But then again, the cat girl has been very eager in wanting to get to know the elf so this might be a perfect moment for them to bond.

Ah well, I guess it should be fine. Even with Anya's shenanigans going on, there are still other kitchen staffs in here that could chip in and explain what Anya got wrong and help teach Ryuu the right way.

I should just let just let Anya have her moment at being a proper senpai.

That is how it's suppose to go but…

"Here, hand it over nya, I'll teach you-"

"Dont touch me!" Ryuu shouted and a loud smack echoed in the kitchen.

"Fugyah?!" Anya let out a surprised cry and I felt a strong draft of wind rushing past behind me.

**CRASH**

I didn't have to turn around to figure out that Anya was sent flying. I hesitantly turn my head around a bit to see just what's going on behind me.

"Kyaaaa! The vegetables!" I heard May shout in panic, more worried about the ingredients than our fellow waitress. Not that there's anything to worry about since Anya's a level 4 and can take quite a beating before going down.

I know elves don't like physical contact with strangers but holy shit, that was a very extreme reaction to being touch. If that's her normal response to being touched then I am feeling very grateful that she was unconscious when I carried her here.

"What are you doing you idiot!" Mama Mia snapped from her station.

"B-but, she tried to touch-"

"I don't want any excuses! Don't go around smacking your own co-workers into the ingredients!" Mia warned her before going back to what she's doing.

"Kuuhhh..." I heard Ryuu emitting a pained sound as she stare at the knife in her hand, unsure of what to do and looking very pitiful.

"Nya! What was that for nya! That hurt nya know!" Anya cried out indignantly, leaping up from the vegetable pile as though she wasn't just shot across the room.

"I'm sorry." Ryuu bowed her head apologetically right as Syr came in from the front.

"I heard something loud just now? What happened?" Syr asked in concern.

"Ryuu knock Anya into the vegetables." May replied since she was nearer.

"Oh dear." Syr said with a worried look on her face.

"Syr! Where did you go? We've got incoming!" A voice from outside shouted and we all turn to look out the door that Syr came in. We all saw a horde of people coming in like a tidal wave.

"Anya, go outside and help Syr for now. Cain, take over and teach Ryuu how to peel properly." Mia said, causing me to turn off the stove in front of me before snapping my head towards the dwarf.

"What!?" I replied in disbelief like how a normal soldier would after being told to do a suicide mission.

"You heard me. Go teach Ryuu and get back to your station fast." Mia told me, leaving no room for discussion. "Anya, get going already."

"Okay! Good luck Cainya!" Anya quickly complied as she should after being given a direct order from Mia and quickly rushes out in fear of what would happen to her if she didn't.

I watch her vanish before turning to Syr with an expressionless look on my face. "You did tell her that you were the one who treated her wounds right?" I asked.

"Maybe?" She replied with a playful smile, apparently deciding to be coy with me.

"Syr, if I die, please tell my Familia that I love them." I said seriously.

"Stop being dramatic and get over there already." Mia said and I could feel her rolling her eyes from here. "Ryuu, this guy will be teaching you how to do things properly so _do_ _not_ sent him flying you hear. He's very fragile so he might not survive." Mia said while shooting me a grin and I gave her a flat stare in return. "What are you supposed to say to him, hm?" Mia turn her gaze back to the elf, causing the girl to flinch slightly before she look towards me.

"Please treat me well." Ryuu said to me, sounding like she's forcing the words out more than anything.

"Good luck Cain-san." Syr giggled before leaving me behind so she could deal with the customers. I could only let out a sigh of defeat as I knew nothing I do can change the outcome. Aw man, and here I was thinking that I could get through the day without interacting with her. Ah well, here's to hoping that I don't get killed by accident. It'll be inconvenient for me if I were to somehow die without bringing my Familia out of debt first.

Realizing that I shouldn't be procrastinating as people are coming in fast, I quickly move to stand next to Ryuu and started addressing her. "Alright, let's see how you do it first so I'll know what to correct." I said to her, gesturing for her to start peeling.

Ryuu pick up a potato with one hand and held her knife with the other. She look at both of them with uncertainty for a brief moment before she starts slicing the potato. And when I said slicing, I actually meant it. She isn't pulling off the skin at all. Instead, she's cutting off chunks of the meat along with the skin which in turn made the potato smaller with each slice.

"Okay, stop. I know what you're doing wrong now." I said when she brutalized the poor potato to the point where it's more or less a the size of a golf ball. Ryuu did as I said and look at me with a quizzing look. I have been observing her hand movements the entire time and came to the realization that she's making the same mistakes I did when I first started out. This should be an easy fix once I explain to her properly.

"First off, you're holding the knife wrongly." I told her and she look towards the knife in her hand, visibly confused. Not that I blame her, she probably doesn't think the way she's holding it as anything wrong. If you're going to stab someone with it that is. A common problem for someone who had spent too long fighting, they'll tend to hold anything like a weapon instinctively.

I went and take another knife from the drawer and return next to her. "This is how you should hold it." I said, showing her the proper way to grip the knife when it comes to peeling. "The way you're holding yours is mainly for stabbing and swinging. You need to remember that you're not holding a weapon right now, only a tool. The goal is to slice the skin off and only the skin so you need to be able to move it around fluidly." I explained to her while taking a potato of my own and started peeling it for her to see. In a brief moment, I have in my hand a perfectly peeled potato that I let her examine before gesturing for her to try it out.

"Like this?" She asked, uncertainty filling her voice as she tries to copy the way I held the knife.

"Yes." I replied while nodding. "Now try it out and don't worry about being slow at first. Believe it or not, most of the girls here started out facing the same problem as you did so don't think too badly of yourself." Still looking uncertain and somewhat confused at what I've just said, Ryuu began trying to slice the skin of the potato and did somewhat better than before. At the very least she's not going to end up with potatoes the size of a grape now. The only thing she needs now is experience and that can only be gained through time and repetition.

"Great. Now all that's left is for you to keep practicing. You can start to speed things up once you get the hang of it. I'll leave you to it so good luck, Lyon-san." I said to her before quickly moving back to my station to resume what I was doing before.

_Well, that went well._ I thought to myself as I marvel at how my limbs are still intact and not having a single broken bone in my body. Maybe having Ryuu around wouldn't be so bad after all if teaching her is this easy.

"Ah." I heard Ryuu made a surprised sound and before I could turn around to check what's wrong, Anya barge in from the front.

"I got a list of orders that- Munyaaa!" Anya suddenly cried out in surprise before a loud crash resounded in the kitchen.

"Kyaaaa! Anya stepped on the potato that Ryuu dropped and slip into the vegetables!" I heard May exclaimed from beside me.

I place my hand over my face and let out a small groan. _Me and my big mouth._

**-0-**

**The next day**

**Orario- Market Place**

**-0-**

"Hmm? Is that Flova-san?" Naaza suddenly said, drawing my attention to where she's looking and I saw a familiar mop of gray hair within the busy street of Orario.

We were on just our way home after spending some time in the market shopping for groceries. And that was after spending most of the day inside the Dungeon violently unaliving some mobs.

"It is." I said, noticing that she isn't alone as well as Ryuu is right beside her. I noticed that they have bags on their arms as well so it would seem that they are on grocery duty as well. "Well, we're heading over there anyway so let's go greet them for a bit." I suggested since there's no need to be rude and pretend that we didn't see them.

"Alright." Naaza nodded and we proceed to walk over to them.

As we got closer, I noticed that Ryuu seemed rather unhappy for some reason as she looked like she had just swallowed a lemon. "Hello there." I said to the two girls once we got close enough.

"Hm? Oh! Cain-san. Hello." Syr greeted me cheerfully after seeing me. "And hello to you as well Naaza-san. What brings you two to this part of the market?"

"Shopping of course. Though we've just finished and is on our way back when we spotted you. Might as well say hi right?" I informed her, nodding towards the bags I have in my hands. "So, what's up with Lyon-san? She looked like she's just seen someone kicked a puppy in front of her."

Syr suddenly gained a mischievous smile on her face as she glace at Ryuu before she explained to me what had transpired not long ago.

"So instead of asking for a discount with a smile, she ended up threatening the shopkeeper with a murderous expression and got banned from that stall." I said flatly, summing up what Syr had told me in a sentence. Ryuu simply clench her jaw with a red face, glaring at me as if daring me to laugh.

"Somehow I feel sorry for him." Naaza commented.

"Now now, Naaza. It's not Lyon-san's fault that she can't smile to save someone's life." I said in a condescending manner.

"Kuhh…." Ryuu let out piteously, sounding as though my words had just stabbed her in the chest.

"Nii-san, don't bully the elf." Naaza chided me.

"Good point." I agreed as teasing Ryuu any further might not end well for me. "Anyway, we'll be going first so have fun you two." I said to the two waitresses.

"Alright, I'll be seeing you back at the pub then. Good bye for now Cain-san, Naaza-san." Syr said.

"Bye." Naaza gave Syr a small wave and we both departed down the street towards where our home is.

We both walked for a good minute or two before I spotted a beggar in the street, asking for money from people with an old looking cup in his hand. It didn't take long for him to come up to me and did the same.

Of course, being such a nice person that I am (as if), I drop the man a small pouch filled with Valis into his cup. He grabs my hand, thank me profusely and left. With him gone, I started moving again.

"Nii-san." Naaza call out to me after everything is said and done, sounding exasperated. "That was a very fat looking pouch. Just how much money did you give him?"

"10 thousand." I simply replied, causing Naaza's eyes to widen like saucers.

"You could've bought a cheep armor set or a better weapon with that amount of money. Why would you even give so much to someone Nii-san!?"

"He looked like he needs it. It's as Miach always say, we should always help someone in need, right?" I replied with a shrug.

Naaza stopped walking as what I had said sink in. "Oh no. Miach-sama's starting to corrupt Nii-san." Naaza muttered to herself in abject horror. While Naaza is having her moment and is sufficiently distracted by the thought of me being the second coming of Miach, I took the chance to place the small piece of paper that the beggar placed in my hand into my pocket.

"Come on Naaza, the sun is starting to go down already." I call out to her once I realized that she isn't following me. It was enough to break her out of her daze and she quickly jog to catch up to me.

"Nii-san, promise me that you won't turn into someone who can't manage his finances at all like Miach-sama!" Naaza pleaded once she caught up with me, grabbing me by the arm and almost knocking the bags of groceries down in the process.

"Hmm...I don't know. I kind of feel like I'm in a giving mood today." I told her with a smirk.

"Nii-san! It's not funny!" Naaza replied with a gasp, sounding utterly frightened. "I'm already having a hard time trying to stop Miach-sama from giving things for free. I don't think I can handle you being added to the mix as well."

I could only laugh lightly as I continue on my way while Naaza continues to fret. I only told her that I was kidding after a while and got smacked on my shoulder for it. But at least I manage to make her forget to ask just why I gave so much to the beggar so suffering a bit of a bruise is a price I'm willing to pay.

**-0-**

I went to upstairs to my room immediately after getting back, claiming that I'm going to shower and change first before getting started on dinner. But once I'm inside, I took out the paper that I received and unfold it to read what's written.

That beggar is one of the old man's. He had left a note among the files he had given me, saying that he'll sent someone over to update me on the assassination situation for the price of 10 thousand Valis. Seeing the beggar approach me specifically made me feel a sense of anxiousness as I don't know what I'm about to find out. But there was also a sense of acceptance that I can't change what I can't control. People who wants Ryuu dead are making moves on their own after all and I can only adapt to what they have in store and hope I don't screw up too badly.

My eyes scan the paper, seeing just three sentences written on it.

**[Gale Wind has been discovered.**

**Black Cat and Black Fist has accepted a contract on her issued by the Bruno Trading Company. **

**The two do not have enough information about Gale at the moment and had chosen to observe their target for the time being.]**

That fast!? It's only been a day since Ryuu started working at the pub. What's more is that it's two of the harder to handle ones that took the job.

I let out a small groan at how unlucky I am and remove the paper from existence via burning it.

I sighed a bit before focusing on what I can do about this situation. Syr had pretty much already adopted Ryuu at this point, so the only thing I can do is try and prevent them from coming to harm as best as I can. The good new is that the assassins aren't going to attack yet if the information is to be believed. If I were them, I'd spent at least a moderate amount of time studying my target to get a feel of their routine and gather information about their strengths. That would at least give me a few days to come up with something, maybe a week if I'm lucky.

Okay, impending attack aside, let's go over what I know about the two from their dossier.

First is Black Cat. She's an assassin with a penchant of using deadly drugs to kill her targets. If force into a fight, she is known to incorporate poison in her attacks to weaken her target before finishing them off. As an assassin, I can expect her to employ stealth and stay hidden until the time is right to strike so I'll need to be extra observant for moving shadows.

Then there's Black Fist. A bounty hunter whose M.O. is very straight forward. True to her name, she'll literally punch you to death. She doesn't use any tricks or traps as she'll just straight up rush you and fist you. It makes what she'll do predictable but no less dangerous.

And as an icing on the cake, both of them are level 4 who had succeeded in killing other level 4s before.

You know, I'm really out of my league here. I know for a fact that I can't do anything against them so I won't. It's a good thing that Ryuu is literally hiding out in one of the safest place in Orario right now. With how I often worry about the girls there getting involve, I tend to forget that they are way stronger than me and has plenty of experience repelling assassins and what not with how many of the staffs that were once targets for bounties.

It'll be fine so long as I just inform them of who might come after Ryuu. But the only one I can see actually matching the two killers is Anya so I should at least keep her updated. As crude as it may seem, I can't get anyone else involve because they'll only get in the way if those powerhouses fight. If it's just Ryuu and Anya fighting together, then the odds of repelling the attackers will be risen dramatically than Ryuu fighting alone.

But if that scenario were to come then Anya might get seriously hurt in the process. I know how much of a dolt she is so she might make a mistake during the fight.

Hmmmm. Well, there's no need to put all my eggs in one basket. I need to try something myself at the very least, I can't just sit back and do nothing when someone is planning to attack those I consider my family after all. I can't do much on my own but what about something that I can do? I could make something to prepare for the attackers. Something that would stop them in their tracks for just a few seconds…..

Well, that's an interesting idea that just popped up. I'm going to need some time to make it as well as finding the ingredient for it though. I'm not even sure if it'll even work but it's better than nothing. Maybe I can even test it out first if I finish it early.

Ah. I've been standing here for a bit too long. Time to get going if I want to make dinner and reach the pub on time.

But still, there is one thing made me wonder. Just why would a trading company want Gale dead? They even went as far as to hire two killers who is known to be quite expensive for their services.

Why silly of me to ask, they have some secret to hide of course.

Maybe I should do a little digging on those guys while I'm at it. After all, the more information I have about what they're up to the easier it is for me to deal with them. Of course, there's still the prospect of other people popping up trying to claim Ryuu's bounty as well...

You know what? Let's find a solution for the situation at hand first before I go worrying other other potential killers coming.

**-0-**

**Orario- Hostess of Fertility**

**-0-**

"Alright, will that be all Miss?" I ask the customer before me with a smile. The adventurer lady gave her confirmation and I simply nodded in response. "Very well, your order will be with you shortly so please wait for a bit." I told her before leaving the table to deliver the order I had written down.

As you can see, I am not working as a cook to day and have taken up waiter duty for various reasons. The first reason is because the time has finally come to let Ryuu interact with customers and I was told by Mama Mia to keep an eye on her and run damage control if she messed up somehow. So if she were to get the order wrong, it's up to me to correct her or if she somehow managed to offend the customer's poor ego, I'll have to calm them down.

Thankfully, I don't have to do it alone because Syr is also tasked with the same thing and is sticking near Ryuu to help her out most of the time. I'm mostly just left watching how terrible the elf is at customer service and cleaning up the food that she spills.

I went into the kitchen to give May the list and saw Syr trying to teach Ryuu how to hold three plates at once.

"So I put it on my arm here?" Ryuu asked Syr as she place a plate on her right forearm.

"That's right." Syr nodded while handing another plate to Ryuu. "Now hold one more with your right hand." Ryuu took the plate from Syr with a slightly anxious expression.

"Alright, you're good to go. Now go deliver those to their respective tables Ryuu." Syr sends the elf off cheerfully and I watch her walk slowly out the door, armed with a plate with a bowl of soup on top, a plate of salad on her forearm and a plate of spaghetti. Oh boy, those will be a pain to clean up if she drops them.

"You're already teaching her how to do that? Don't you think it's a bit too early?" I spoke up after Ryuu went out the kitchen, not wanting to speak while she's still around because my voice might break her concentration and cause her to drop the plates.

"It's to help build familiarity." Syr replied. "The sooner she does it then the sooner she can get use to it no?"

"That's true but she's going to drop them you know." I pointed out.

"Well, you know what they say, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. Tee hee." Syr replied, acting cutesy by knocking her head with her knuckles and stick out her tongue out slightly. Utterly devious that girl. Looks like she intents for Ryuu to get better quickly by trail and error like every else here did, herself included of course. I can't deny that it's an effective method to train someone on how to be more efficient at delivering food, but it comes with the cost of many poor innocent plates.

Ah well, it's not like I'm paying for it or anything.

"I'll go get the mop." I sighed and proceed to walk outside with a mop in hand after handing May the orders with Syr following behind me.

Once outside, I saw that Ryuu was moving as carefully as she can to her destination, trying her best to keep the plate on her forearm from falling. Sadly, I noticed immediately that she's making the rookie mistake of focusing too much of her attention on the plate on her forearm that she wasn't paying much attention to anything else.

Knowing what's going to happen next, I cover my face with both hands. "I can't watch. It's like watching a toddler walking on a tightrope." I said to no one in particular, my voice muffled by my hands.

It didn't surprise me to hear the sound of plates crashing moments after I close my eyes.

"Ryuu! What the hell are you doing!?" Mama Mia's voice came thundering from the kitchen.

"Kuuhhh...I'm so sorry." Ah, there's that pained sound again.

"Oh dear." Syr said while Ryuu was recalled to the back so Mama Mia could give her an earful.

"You know, ever since Lyon-san started here I keep getting flashbacks to when you were first starting out." I said to her, causing Syr to look a bit sheepish.

"I guess I did made some mistakes back then." Syr said, embarrassed at the memories of how she keep messing things up.

"Uh-huh. _Some _huh?" I replied, raising an eyebrow at her while giving her a knowing look.

"I'll go keep Mama Mia from being too hard on Ryuu." She quickly said to me and ran off to the back.

I rolled my eyes and proceed to go clean up the mess on the floor left the elf.

Since I'm here, I might as well get to the other reason why I'm working as a waiter. While I'm out here, I can at least keep an eye out for anyone who might be interested in our new waitress. In a non romantic or sexual way of course.

So, as I work on picking up the plate pieces and removing stains, I stretch my other senses out to pick out the things people are saying about Ryuu while subtly looking around.

"Man to think that this place got such a hottie here now, I think I'll be coming here more often."

"She's cold and beautiful but a bit clumsy."

"-like a fairy."

"I want her to step on me with a look of disgust on her face."

Ignoring the last bit, nothing seems out of place. Everyone seem to treats the sight of Ryuu like a new waitress who's not use to her job yet.

Well, not everyone. I did notice someone's gaze here that's unlike the others. Unlike the other patrons in the pub who gaze at Ryuu with fascination and wonder or just outright lecherous, this one is more analytical and observant. In fact, this person had been looking at Ryuu the entire time she was here.

There, sitting by her lonesome at the corner of the pub is a girl with medium length brown hair and a pair of brown eyes. She wore a scarf on her neck, a short sleeveless white top, short brown shorts and a pair of brown boots. She was also wearing a pair of black gloves with steel plating stitched on the back and her arms were wrapped in bandages. There's no weapons visible on her person but I doubt she would ever need any. After all, her profile matches the one for a certain Black Fist.

I briefly wonder if I should just sic Anya at her right now but thought better of it. Too much collateral damage. Instead, I finish cleaning up and went to put the mop back in storage

A while later Syr came by while I was busy cleaning a table to tell me that she got a letter from a very curious courier. That perked my interest. "She seemed rather interested in our pub." Syr told me as she help herself to wiping the table for me while I pick up all the plates and mugs onto my tray.

"Oh? Did she ask about anything in particular?" I asked, having a feeling that it's not just some normal courier if Syr actually took the time to inform me about it. She probably thinks that something is off about that person and is keeping her promise of keeping me updated.

"Hmm, not much. She only asked about Ryuu since she witnessed her being scolded by Mama Mia and wondered what's going on." Syr informed me as we both went to the back so I can wash the dishes.

Having a hunch, I decide to ask another question. "Is that courier a cat person?"

"Hm? Oh my! Have you finally reach the age where you're interested in girls already Cain-san?" Syr gasped in surprise. "How cruel. Even though you're already surrounded by us beautiful ladies you're still going after other women. What would May and Anya think if they found out about you asking about other cat girls?" Syr bemoaned dramatically.

"Well, that is if my wife didn't find out and kill me first." I replied, straight faced.

"Wait, what?" Syr said with eyes wide in genuine surprise this time. I decided to savour it for a moment because catching Syr off guard is very hard thing to accomplish. Upon seeing the smug smile on my face, Syr realize that I was joking and pouted at me.

"But seriously though, is she a cat person?"

"Yes." Syr nodded, confirming my theory. Looks like Black Cat is doing her own digging too. "It looks like we have people sniffing about again so you best not do anything rash Cain-san." Syr told me, wearing a stern expression.

"I know, I know. It's the same old deal as always. Not like I can do much against those monsters anyway." I reassured her. "Anyway, let's get back to work. I dread to imagine what kind of mess Lyon-san would conjure up while we weren't keeping an eye on her."

Of course, just as soon as I finish my sentence we both heard the sound of glass crashing onto the floor.

"You again!?" Mama Mia's voice roared so loudly that she was almost shaking the entire pub with it.

"Me and my big mouth." I muttered as I place a hand over my face while Syr gave a dry laugh.

**-0-**

**A Few Days Later**

**Orario- Hostess of Fertility**

**-0-**

Several days had passed since Ryuu started working here. Had she gotten any better at her job you ask? Absolutely. If you squint real hard, you just might be able to make out the amount of progress she has made adjusting to the life of a waitress.

Okay, I kid. She's doing rather well-ish.

The vegetables that she prepares are actually decent sized now, if you consider a potato smaller than your palm to be decent anyway. She's still not allowed to do shopping trips alone and always had Syr accompanying her. She's gotten better at taking orders but would still mess up if they're complicated. Anya is still trying her best to be a reliable senpai to her and failing and there were times where I had to cut in and help the elf out when Syr is busy with other customers herself.

All in all, it's not that different from when a new girl joins the pub.

I also haven't been idle these past few days as I've spent my free time in acquiring the ingredients for my little project. In fact, I've already got them all. You could say that I'm almost finish with it, I'm just trying to finish creating it before I test it.

I've also been illegally entering places own by the Bruno Trading Company. You know, to gather dirt on those guys. So far, I've found very interesting deals that they've made that could be considered illegal under Guild law but nothing to really pinpoint just why they want Gale Wind dead yet. Frankly, I think it's time I start digging through the higher ups of the company, maybe I'll find something more useful there.

But for now, I really should get back to work instead of thinking about it too much since it's distracting. With today being one of those days where I can't go to the Dungeon, I have been spending my free time helping out at the pub.

I spent the day working side by side with May, cooking meals and chatting with her when there's time to. She's been thinking up new recipes that she wants to try out when there's time and is bouncing off ideas with me to see what could be changed or improve upon her recipe.

"How about….if I mix it with cheese?" May asked me, her hand constantly stirring the pot of soup before her.

"Well, I can see it working if you were to spread it on top and then bake it. But mixing it like that would probably result in a weird texture, as well as a sticky pan." I told her, sprinkling salt and then adding sauce to vegetables that I'm in the middling of stir-frying.

"Hmm, I guess you're right about that. I guess I'll try baking it like you've said. Ehe he. I can't wait to try it out." May said, smiling happily with the thought of many kind of food we've just talked about filling her mind.

"I'm sure you'll get the chance."

"When I do make them...erm...will you...try them out Cain-kun?" May asked rather demurely all of the sudden.

"Do you even need to ask? Of course I would." I replied instantly.

"Really?" May's entire body seem to perk up at my reply.

"Yeah, what kind of idiot would say no to free food, am I right?"

"O-oh. Right. Of course."

"If you two are quite done flirting, I'm still waiting for our customer's dish so I can put the dressing on it." One of the kitchen staff said behind our backs.

"W-w-we weren't flirting!" May exclaimed quickly looking away with a flush on her face, prompting other girl to roll her eyes with a smile.

"Sure, sure. I've just finished anyway." I said while moving the food from the wok to a plate before giving it to her. "Well, that should be the last one on the list. I'll go check if we have any new orders that just came in, be back in a bit." I told them.

"Alright then. I'll be taking the dish to a waitress. Sorry for intruding on you two." The girl said with a sly giggle, causing May to sputter something that I didn't quite catch as I left the area.

On my way to see if there's more food to cook, I spotted the only elf among the staff doing the dishes and my steps slow to a halt when I saw her expression.

Ryuu was working silently with eyes completely void of life. She had the look of a lost soul with no place in the world, unable to properly fit in and unsure of what to do.

I noticed footsteps coming from behind me and I turn my head around. Syr came walking up to me and is looking at Ryuu just like I was. "How's Ryuu doing?" She asked me.

"Well, she is slowly getting better at her job if that's what you want to know. Could do without all the gloom though." I replied, gesturing at melancholic aura surrounding the elf like it's actually something physical.

Syr continues to observe Ryuu while humming slightly. "Does the sight of her like this reminds you of someone Cain-san?" Syr asked after a moment, looking at me with a meaningful smile. "Is that why you're worried about her?"

I snorted before giving her a smirk. "You could've just straight out say that she's acting like how I was instead of being all obscure and cryptic." I told her, causing her to stick her tongue out playfully at me. "But yeah, I guess I am a bit concerned. From what I can see, she's too scared to move forward from her past. Got too much doubt in her heart and mind. If only there's a busybody around who just couldn't leave people alone to wallow in their miseries. But just where on earth can we find such a person?" I said in mock wonder, looking at the girl beside me.

"Oh my. I have no idea you would think so highly of me Cain-san." Syr place a hand over her cheek, pretending to be shy.

"Huh, I never said anything about you though. So why are you getting all bashful for?" I replied, pretending to look confused and causing Syr to lightly punch my shoulder with a small giggle. I chuckled alongside her for a moment before waving her off. "Go work your magic Syr, I'll cover for you two so you don't get into too much trouble." It's not like there's much to do right now. May and the rest can handle the cooking without me just fine.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do." Syr said and walk right to Ryuu's side.

I stayed where I am, watching a predator in it's natural habitat, pretending to be harmless and friendly in order to let it's prey lower it's guard. It didn't take long before they strike up a conversation and Syr proceed to drag Ryuu off to somewhere, taking off their aprons and leaving through the back door.

This is where I seamlessly took over Ryuu's dish washing duties and wondered what Syr had in mind in cheering our resident elf up.

**-0-**

Some time had passed since the two left but when I heard a commotion coming from the back of the pub, I had a feeling that they're back. I stopped what I was doing and went to see what's up.

I didn't go all the way and merely look out one of the windows that a bit away from where the commotion is. Once I looked outside, I immediately spotted most of staffs waiting outside with Anya at the forefront. Even without asking, I immediately knew that Anya was the one responsible for roping everyone outside. It didn't take long for me to spot Syr and Ryuu coming into view.

They met up and Anya went to greet them. They started talking but I couldn't hear what they're saying from this distance so I studied Ryuu instead. I immediately noticed a large difference in the elf. The air of gloominess is gone and Ryuu's features are a bit softer now.

And so it is that another lost soul has been dragged out of the pit of misery by Syr's busybodiness. Truly, a kind hearted witch indeed.

While I thought that, Anya seem to thrust her hand forward towards Ryuu's. However, Ryuu responded instinctively and slap it away. The pleasant air that was there while they were chatting happily was gone in that instance and everything seemed to just froze. Ryuu looked panicked at what she had just done but I wasn't worried. After all, this is Anya that we're talking about. A silly little slap wouldn't do much to deter her at all.

True to my expectations, Anya was quick to recover and said something that cause Ryuu to look like she's dealing with a particularly stubborn person, something that I can sympathise with.

All of the sudden, Syr proceed to hug Ryuu from behind, wrapping both her arms around her neck and pressing her cheek against hers. Anya seem offended by this while Ryuu just grow redder with each passing second. Anya continues to try and touch Ryuu's hand but the elf just deftly counters each of her attempt while the rest of the girls cheers and clap, laughing together in enjoyment.

Their horseplay was soon interrupted when Mama Mia bellowed from within the pub. "Hey, you stupid girls! Ain't every last one of you skipping work?!"

The girls were quick to disperse, running back into the pub to do what they were suppose to, leaving Ryuu and Syr behind to slowly walk back in. It was there did Ryuu say something to Syr and to my surprise, she was wearing a smile on her face.

_Yes. This is much better. A smile suited her much more than that hopeless expression._ I thought to myself with a small smiled of my own and went back to work myself, ignoring Mama Mia's shouting about how gutsy everyone is to dare to slack off.

**-0-**

**A Few Days Later**

**Orario, middle of the night-?**

**-0-**

"So, is everything ready?" An old dwarf spoke within a dimly lit room.

"Yes. I've already prepared the men. With both Black Cat and Black Fist making their moves tomorrow, this is the only chance we'll get to eliminate three of our major obstacles in one go." A human male replied.

"Good, good. Once we got rid of them all, we'll be able to do as we please without those troublemakers getting in the way. Truly, Gale has done us a huge favor in eliminating Evilus and paving way for us to remake Orario with us at the helm. But as long as she's still alive, there's a risk of her finding out our connection to Evilus and coming after us. Well, we won't have to worry about that anymore soon." The dwarf let out a chuckle that sounded almost slimy.

"It's a shame that they're gone though. They were such profitable business partners, not that I'd actually miss having them around with them being as crazy as they are. It's a good thing that we made sure no one else knew of Gale's survival and location, otherwise there might be other people getting involve and making a mess out of everything." The human said, joining in with a typical evil laugh.

And here I am, sitting on top of the roof while the two men continue to laugh diabolically like they're some hotshot masterminds and I get to hear every little detail.

Why you ask? Because they had their window open.

I can't help but be disappointed at them. I mean really? If you're going to talk about your evil plans you might as well do it somewhere private or in a secret lair. Instead, they're talking about it like they're talking about the weather right inside a public inn. Honestly, villains these days have no class.

But still, I wasn't expecting that I'd get to overhear something so important today. This was suppose to be a routine dirt gathering but hey, I ain't complaining. I've already gathered more than enough dirt to put this company out of business ten times over and isn't quite sure what to do next until I came across these two wannabe villains.

So this company have made deals with Evilus before I see. And the reason why they want Ryuu gone is because they're scared of her finding out the connection that they had. They also seem to have issue with Black Cat and Black Fist and is using this chance to get rid of them all. Well, this sums everything up nicely.

Now I just need to make sure Ryuu survives the attack tomorrow before I deal with these guys. If I spook them too soon then they might run off and go underground and I know from experience just how much of a pain it is to drag them out when that happens.

I got up from from the tile and started to walk away, mind churning on ideas on what to do next. I've already finished my pet project and it worked nicely as anticipated as the testing had proven. All the dirt that I have gathered on them is nicely set aside and neatly arranged and awaiting to be released. I think I've just about done all that I can do already.

"So….tomorrow huh." I muttered as I jump off the roof and landed onto the next. "Looks like it's going to be a busy day for me." I sighed as I wander into the dark, vanishing from sight as I melt into the shadows.

**-0-**

**AN: Thanks for reading and don't forget to tell me what you think about this chapter. Was it good? Was it bad? Tell me so I would know.**

**Next up is the conclusion of the Familia Chronical story which everyone already knows the ending to.**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Woah, looks like I've ruffled a hornet's nest with my previous AN. I'm really sorry about that, it was not my intention. I never expected people to get that upset about Cain's lack of interest in the opposite sex. If I knew about it then I would've address the issue more seriously than in a joking manner in my last AN.**

**I'll be more upfront this time. If you're wonder if the rest of the story is going have a main character with erectile dysfunction then I'll tell you now that he doesn't. In fact, Cain actually have hormones that he has to deal with, especially since he's in the middle of puberty right now. **

**It's just that he more than enough mental discipline as a soldier to let it his hormonal instincts control him. But that will get harder for him as he grew older and start seeing the girls as, you know, actually girls. So yeah, it's just a matter of time until his mental defenses gets withered away and he'll have nothing to hide behind and you'll get to see him being more….er what's the word for it again? Attracted? Anyway, he'll have his eyes on the girls more than focusing solely on the objectives that he has.**

**I hope I manage to calm you guys down a bit with this and I'm sorry for making it seem I have no interest in getting Cain laid. The end goal that I have for this story is making the world safe enough so he can have kids, so of course he needs to get laid. Cain doesn't know that yet of course, since he's still being held back by his past as well as his present situation to even think that far into the future.**

**The only question is _who_ he'll be having kids with but we'll get there when we get there.**

**As for people wondering when he's going to focus on getting stronger...well, it's not like he's not is rising his own stats off screen so he's not stuck being weak or anything. If you want me to rush it then I can. I can probably pace it so that we'll get him to level up in the next 2 or 3 chapters if that's what you want.**

**There are also the part where he doesn't even act like someone who came from a war torn world that people takes issue with but there's actually a reason for that. I won't explain it here yet but I plan to on future chapters. There's a part of the story where we would delve more into his past when his new friends realize that something is seriously wrong with his mentality and ask his old ones about it. Hmm, maybe I can slot it into the next chapter for the sake of rushing the story. I'll give it a shot but no promises.**

**But for those who can't wait, let's just say he has some….identity crisis that he isn't aware of, yet. Also, keep in mind that he's been in this world for 14 years already, he has plenty of time to learn how to pretend to be a normal human and have most of his issues dealt with.**

**I'm sorry if my decisions made you lose interest in this story and I won't hold it against you if you decide to stop reading because of it. I'm just glad that you gave my story a chance and hope that I get to see you again one day when you decide to give it another go.**

**And also, I apologize that this chapter took so long. It would've come out a lot earlier but I've been too busy sieging castles and beheading nobles. It's a tough job but someone's gotta do it.**

**-0-**

**Orario, Early Morning- Hostess of Fertility, Mia Grand's Room**

**-0-**

"Wait, you're serious?" I asked in disbelief as I stare at Mama Mia's rather grim looking face.

"Afraid so." Mia nodded, her arms were crossed and you can tell just how much she dislike it herself from her body posture alone.

"Man, talk about bad timing." I muttered before letting out a sigh. I've arrived at the pub way before sunrise in order to inform Mama Mia about the impending attack and the ones behind it. I thought that maybe she could do something about it herself in advance so no one needs to get hurt. But as my poor luck would have it, she didn't have the time to.

Mia just so happen to have an errand to run tonight and is taking Syr along. Best guess is said errand have something to do with her Familia's goddess because she's the only one who can actually make Mama Mia run errands.

"The Bruno Trading Company huh. I'll see what I can do once I get back but I won't have the time to deal with them until then." Mia told me with a sigh, apparently in a very unhappy mood. I don't blame her. She now knows that her pub is going to be attacked tonight but won't be able to do anything about it for now.

"It should be fine with Anya and the others around, right?" Syr asked.

"Well, it should be fine if Ryuu and Anya are fighting Black Fist and Black Cat since they're all level 4. Sadly, I suspect that collateral damage is unavoidable because of that." I informed her, noticing how Mia click her tongue in annoyance before continuing. "The rest of the girls will have an easy time dealing with the thugs that the company hired since they're comprise of level 1's and 2's." I sighed sadly as I can't help but think how stupid their plan is.

Honestly, I've never seen such piss poor preparation when it comes to getting rid of dangerous people. As someone who had both planned assassination attempts and been targets of, what those two had cooked up is just plain insulting. From what I can tell, they think that having more than enough men would be all they need to take down a level 4. Beings with enough power to fight against a normal army back on earth.

"Oh ho. And how do you know all that?" Mia asked me.

"Through their letters, records, accounting ledgers and the contracts that they have. They've specifically chose level 1's and 2's because of the hiring costs is cheaper. They also think that since most of them will die anyway, they won't have to pay so much after they kill off Ryuu and the other two." I replied. Say what you will about their inability to plan worth damn, they do know how to hire a great accountant to keep track of their messy records. Sad that he'll lose his job after everything is said and done as I don't see the company surviving beyond this night with all that evidence that I'm going to release.

"Cain-san. You've been doing dangerous things again haven't you?" Syr accused me with a disapproving frown.

"Whatever do you mean?" I feigned ignorance. "I've certainly haven't done anything of sorts. And even if I did, you don't have any p-" I stopped midway when we all heard knocking coming from the door. Syr and I looked at each other, wondering just who it could be but from the look on Mia's face, I think she already knows.

"Come in." Mia said and the door opened, revealing Ryuu to be outside.

"Excuse me, Owner. Can I have a wor...Syr? Musashi-san?" Ryuu said as her eyes landed on both of us, looking surprised as she entered the room.

"Good morning, Ryuu." Syr greeted the elf with a happy smile while I simply give her a lazy wave.

"...Good morning." She returned the greeting before turning to Mama Mia.

Realizing that she wants to talk to Mia about something, I chose this moment to leave since I've already did what I came here to do. "Well, I think it's time I head back first. Miach and Naaza should be awake by now and wondering where I am." I said as I began walking towards the door. Upon seeing my approach, Ryuu move away from the entrance to allow me to leave.

"Oh, wait a minute Cain-san. I have something for you." Syr said, causing me to stop and regard her with a curious raise of my eyebrow.

"What is it?" I asked as she quickly walks up to me and handed me a paper bag.

"Here you go." She said as I took the bag from her hand and peak inside.

"Oooh, it's finished already? That's a lot faster than I expected. Thanks a lot Syr." I told her as I tuck the bag under my arm. As for what's inside, it's the burial shroud turned impromptu cloak. While it's useful for hiding my identity, I find it lacking in the mobility and flexibility department. It keeps getting in the way when I have to do some serious moving around. So, in order to eliminate that problem, I've asked Syr to help modify to it a few days ago and even gave her my measurements to make things easier. Now, instead of a cloak that keeps getting in the way, it's now a coat with a hood so it would provide maximum maneuverability while retaining it's stealth functionality.

I would've done it myself but I have piss poor sewing skills since Syr just started teaching me recently. I might've gotten it wrong or something and made a coat that's completely asymmetrical or downright ugly to look at.

"You're welcome. I manage to finish it last night and it was quite fun. I've never tried making clothing from scratch before. Do you want to try it on now and see how it looks first?" She asked, eyes shining eagerly to see how her own handiwork would look.

"Hmm, not right now. I have some things I need to do first." I told her as I got ready to leave, earning a disappointed 'aww' from the gray haired girl. Just as I got to the door, a very disturbing thought hit me and I turn my head slightly to look at Syr. "You didn't add any frills to it did you?" I asked her, sounding very concern.

"Maybe?" She replied mysteriously. "You'll just have to find out yourself." She finishes with a giggle.

"….riiiight. Anyway, goodbye everyone. See you all tonight."

"Cain." Mia suddenly call out to me right as I opened the door.

"Yes Mama Mia?"

"Before you go, can you inform the rest of the girls that we aren't opening tonight?"

"Eh?" Ryuu let out sounding surprise by what she's hearing.

"Sure thing." I told her and went outside.

"Right then, what do you want this early in the morning?" I heard Mia asked Ryuu before I close the door and went to find the rest of the staffs.

**-0-**

"This is excellent news nya!" Anya cried out excitedly after I told the entire crew about their unexpected free time tonight. Similarly, the rest of the girls were also in an excited mood after hearing the news and the place became rowdy with everyone chatting about it.

"What should we do? I didn't expect to get a break all of the sudden so I have nothing in mind for the night." One of the staffs said and everyone started giving out ideas on what they could do with their unexpected break. The discussion got very heated with ideas being fired and discarded all over the place. Everyone was indecisive as each has their own idea on what they could do and no one could quite agree on something fully.

Of course, all this could be solved if they all just go and do their own things separately, but they're a tightly knitted group and love to do things together. They've also spent all the unexpected breaks that they've gotten over the years together too so there's no reason to change it now. There's also the fact that I've already informed them of what would happen tonight so they think it's all the more reason to spent the break here where they could jump in and help when trouble starts.

"I know nya!" Anya shouted, getting everyone's attention while she jump on top of a table. "Let's throw a party nya! We can have one at the dinning room in the annex!"

"Wooooo!" Everyone seem to be in on the idea and they all throw their hands up and cheered.

"Wait!" A voice cut in, silencing the crowd. "But would Mama Mia even allow that?" May, the voice of reason, asked the excited horde and everyone's excitement about that idea seem to quell. Some even quivered in fear when thinking about what would happen if the owner finds out about party. Mama Mia will most likely be unhappy about the idea and shut them down since they tend to make a mess and get stupidly drunk.

"Heh heh heh." Anya laughed, looking rather confident despite being told her idea just wouldn't fly under Mia's rules. "It's simple nya. We don't let her find out nya." She explained.

The rest of the girls gasped. What Anya had suggested was borderline rebellious. To hide something from Mama Mia? Utterly ineffable. But it was such a thing that got them excited, the possibility of being found out was too much thrill for them to say no to the idea. They started planning immediately. Suggestions on what party games they should play and how much alcohol they should bring were being put forward. Overall, everyone is just happy as they chat about the upcoming party.

Since the staffs were usually oppressed by heavy labor from an unforgiving overlord known as Mia, I know that it's pointless to try and calm them down and stop them from going overboard.

"This is the perfect chance for me to try out all the recipes I've thought up." May's eyes lit up as she gushed excitedly while hopping in place and clapping her hands.

"Cainya, you'll be join in as well right?" Anya asked me after getting down from the table.

I thought about it for a moment before nodding. It's not like I have anything urgent to do until before the attack happens and a party does sound fun. It would definitely help keep my mind off things and pass the time quicker than if I were to spent it waiting anxiously for the attack to happen. "Hmmm. I guess I can. You guys don't mind I bring Naaza and Miach over right?" I asked them. It wouldn't be fair if I were the only one who gets to enjoy all the free food myself after all. Black Cat and Black Fist are known to avoid getting civilians involved so they'll be fine so long as they leave early.

"Oh course not nya! The more the merrier nya!" Anya proclaimed.

"Great. I'll come by early and help out with the food." I said, causing the girls to squeal happily. With both me and May in charge of the food preparation, they know for certain that they're going to have a feast.

"Everyone! Mama Mia is coming!" The sentry that was posted long before the discussion started alerted everyone in a panic. In an instant, everyone dispersed and was busy pretending to look like they're actually doing something productive.

I let out a snort of amusement before bidding my goodbyes and left the tavern so I can start my day. First order of business is to inform my Familia about the party.

**-0-**

**Dungeon- 7th floor**

**-0-**

The 7th floor of the Dungeon is home to small critters such as ants, moths, and sometimes, though very rare, butterflies. Of course, since this is the Dungeon we're talking about, their sizes are a bit on the big side.

An ant the size of a human is a very unnerving sight if you're seeing them for the first time. But once you get used to them you'll find that they're just a pain in the ass like regular ants. At least regular ants won't actively try to kill you. Killer Ants also have a nasty habit of calling for backup too so you need to kill them fast before they could, otherwise you're going to get swarmed.

By the way, rabbits can also be found on this floor too and I am currently hugging one right now.

"Stay still and let me pet you god damn it." I muttered in annoyance as the white ball of fur in my arms kept squirming in attempt to get away. It's also trying to use the horn on it's forehead to stab me too, hence the name Needle Rabbit.

"Nii-san, why do you always do this whenever we pass through this floor." Naaza asked me while standing quite a bit of distance away. She look rather exasperated by my childish actions as I repeatedly attempt to rub my hand on the Needle Rabbit's soft fur only to be batted away by it's horn.

Normally, it's dangerous to handle a Needle Rabbit like this as they have the strength of a bull for something so small. A normal human would've been gored to death already but thankfully, Falnas are bullshit.

"But they're so cute Naaza-chan! It's so hard to resist!" I defended myself while hoisting the rabbit by it's neck with one hand. Did I mention that it's the size of a dog? Because it is. This is the biggest one I've seen so far and the regular size for these furballs are usually a bit bigger than cats.

As for why I'm doing something so stupid in the first place….In all honesty, I'm under quite a bit of stress with everything going on lately and I haven't gotten a good night's sleep ever since we've picked up Ryuu. So do forgive me for wanting to relief myself with this fluffy heaven. And no, I do not mean that in a sexual way you sick bastard. Who do you think I am? The 'I'm going to relief myself with this fish' meme?

"If you wanted something to pet, you could always pet me." Naaza muttered quietly as she looked away with her arms crossed, pouting in discontent.

"Hm? Did you say something Naaza?" I asked, not being able to hear her over the screeching that the rabbit is making as I try my best to molest it.

"Nothing at all. Are you done yet Nii-san? We still have a few floors to cover and I'd rather not waste too much time here." Naaza pointed out rather forcefully.

Realizing that she's right, I let out a sigh and use my left arm to wrap around Sir Fluffkin the Sixth's neck to keep it from running away. I use my other hand to summon my dagger and plunged it into it's chest and push until my hand is inside it as well. Then I dismiss the dagger and pluck out it's magic stone. Without it's core to sustain it, the rabbit in my arm turned into dust instantly while it let out one last cry. It was also giving me a very pained and scared look. I could almost hear it say, 'Mister Stark, I don't feel so good' as it vanishes.

With my bunny gone, I pocketed the magic stone and gave the area another glance to check for enemies. Not that there are any since I made sure that we stopped at a relatively safe spot first. It's why I allowed myself to relax a little even when inside the Dungeon and started molesting bunnies.

"Right then. Let's keep moving shall we?" I said while brushing the disintegrated remains off my body and hands. "We should be able to reach our destination in 20 minutes in our usual pace."

"Unless we encounter another Needle Rabbit you mean." Naaza quipped as she roll her eyes with a smirk at me.

"Don't worry, I wont do anything. This is the only safe spot on this floor anyway so even if we do encounter more Needle Rabbits down the road, it'll be too dangerous to get distracted." I told her.

"You may say that but you're already holding another one in your arms." Naaza replied.

"Huh?" I uttered and look down only to be greeted by a bundle of fluffiness. "When did that get there?" I wondered out loud.

"It was trying to dive at you from behind while you were talking to me. I was going to warn you about it but you just snatched it while it was in the air and started to pet it like it was nothing." Naaza explained to me, sounding a bit upset for some reason.

"Oh." I simply said. Good to know that my body can still respond to threats instinctively on it's own while my mind is elsewhere. At least I don't have to worry about not being able a fight if I were ever drugged by someone. I proceed to place a hand on top of it's head and twist it. There was an audible pop coming from the tiny body before it went limp. I collected the magic stone from it and we both continue along the path to get to our destination.

**-0-**

We manage to reach the stairs that would take us to the next floor without any issue. But now that we're here, we found that our path was barred by a large group of Killer Ants. Way too large for the two of us to deal with on our own.

"Hmmmm." I let out a thoughtful hum while thinking of a way to bypass this blockade. Both me and Naaza were hiding just behind a corner while I peek out from behind to observe the situation.

"Have you thought of a plan yet Nii-san?" Naaza asked as she huddled close, bow gripped tightly in hand.

"Well, I do have a few in mind." I replied as I duck my head back into cover. "Wanna hear them?" I asked her, earning a nod in reply.

"The first plan that I have is that we change our goal for the day and just stick around on this floor." I told her.

"But you promised me that you'd take me to the 9th floor today." Naaza pouted sadly at me.

"I know. Which is why I'm still trying to figure out a way to get past them instead of giving up." I told her, frowning at our luck on encountering such a big horde.

"Do you think we can take them on?" Naaza asked curiously.

"We could. Scratch that, I have full confidence that we can." I informed her, frown still in place.

Naaza seemed confused at my admission, most likely because she wasn't expecting it. "But why haven't we?"

"Because I'm not sure we can kill them fast enough before one of them calls for reinforcements. That's what I'm worried about." I informed her with a grim look on my face.

"Is it that bad?" Naaza, who's not that knowledgeable about monsters, asked curiously as she has never encounter such a scenario before. Not that she ever would as I made sure that we kill any Killer Ants within a minute or two when we encounter them.

"Imagine this entire clearing filled to the brim with Killer Ants. Even the Ceiling and walls are covered in them." I deadpanned, causing Naaza to gulp at the image I had presented to her.

"Yeah. That bad." I said dryly. "We'd be able to survive that if one of us is a level 2 but since neither of us are, we'd be dead within minutes." Unless of course, we have plot armor to bail us out but I'm not counting on it.

"Our other options are to wait for them to leave but that might take a while. Or lastly, we wait for another party of Adventurers to turn up and ask them for help. Seeing that we'd both want to head down deeper, it'll be in our best interest to work together to deal with the threat. Honestly, the last two are the safest options that we have."

"I see…..I guess we'll just have to wait then." Naaza said as she look to the side. "Though, I suspect that we don't have to wait for long."

"Hm? What do you mean?" I asked her.

"I can hear someone coming our way. From the sound of it, a group of 3 maybe?" Naaza muttered as she shut her eyes to focus on hearing, lifting up her ears as she did so.

"People or monsters?" I questioned cautiously.

"Hmmm….I can hear them talking so, people."

"I see. Where?"

"Erm..." Naaza let out uncertainly before taking out a compass that I had bought her and peer at it for a brief moment. I got it for her when I was teaching her what bearings mean and how it works. It was a good thing that I did because it made communicating during battles way easier for me. She might be a bit slow to response at times because she had forgotten about it during the heat of things but she's getting faster in responding. "Bearing 150" She replied, sounding more confident in her answer now that there's a compass to look at.

I smiled at her before ruffling her head a bit, causing her to break out a small smile. "Good job Naaza. Let's go greet them shall we? The sooner we can get their help, the sooner we we can clear out those Killer Ants."

"Mn." Naaza nodded in agreement and we both started walking towards where Naaza heard the sounds of people coming.

The party soon revealed themselves and to my surprise, it's actually someone I know.

"Hey there, Cain! Fancy meeting you in the Dungeon." Maris wave at me once she spotted me. Behind her was her companions that I saw before but never really took the time to properly look at them.

Naaza seemed confused by Maris calling my name before she had that look of realization on her face. "Nii-san. Isn't she the girl we saw at the guild? The one who claims that she's your rival." Naaza said, finally recalling just who Maris is.

"Yep. My self-proclaimed rival." I replied wryly.

Maris picked up the pace and started jogging towards us and her companions had to hurry up as well so they could catch up to her. I decided to give them a once over seeing that I might have to interact with them now. They're a male warrior and a female mage judging their equipment and they all looked about the same age as Maris.

The male looks like a human with short brown hair and is wearing some heavy looking armor covering his entire body and he has a sword and shield in his hands. The female however, is a Hume Bunny or Rabbit people judging by the pair of ears on her head. She has long brown hair and is wearing a standard mage gear, meaning absolutely no protection at all aside from a brown robe and a long wooden staff.

So I guess their role is the tank and the range support.

"Hey Maris. I didn't think I'd see you here as well." I greeted the blue haired girl once she reaches us while her friends are lagging behind. "Are you guys heading down?" I asked her.

"Yep, we're going to the 9th floor." Maris announced rather proudly.

"Oh, so you finally got permission from Eina?"

"Sure did. Now I'm finally one step ahead of you." She grinned.

"I see. That's great news." I congratulated her, not intending to tell her that I could actually go a lot further now that Naaza is with me. It would no doubt spark some kind of competitiveness in her that would cause her to do something rash. "I guess she finally forgave you for that solo stunt that you pulled not long ago huh?" I grinned, causing her to blush sheepishly at the reminder.

"Maris! You need to stop running off on your own like that." The bunny girl scolded with a glower once the two finally caught up. From the sound of things, this seem to happen quite often. The male just seem tired and is panting quite a bit when he reached us and is trying to catch his breath. It's obvious to me that he looks like he wants to sit down or collapse right now. The armor he wore looks rather new too so I'm guessing he's just not used to the weight yet.

"Ah ha ha...oops?" Maris offered weakly.

"Let me guess, she always rush head first to fight whatever monsters she sees, leaving you two behind to catch up just to keep her from getting into trouble?" I asked the bunny girl.

"Yes! I swear this girl doesn't know the meaning of wait up." The bunny girl complained, shooting her hands up in the air exasperatedly. She then started a rant about all the troublesome things that Maris had caused that's attributed to her unyielding personality, causing the blue haired girl to shrink smaller and smaller in shame with each sentence.

After letting out a long sigh after her rant, the bunny girl seem to realize she has no idea who she was talking to and quickly become a bit flustered. "Oh! Sorry about that. I didn't mean to suddenly cause a scene like that." She quickly apologized. "It's just that our leader's habit to move on her own tends to put us on edge because we don't know when's the next moment she's going to vanish from our sight. Honestly, it's like looking after an overenthusiastic child." She said with a sad shake of her head as if she's saying 'what can you do?'.

"I'm not a child." Maris mumbled unhappily.

Hearing her leader's grumbles, the bunny girl place a hand on Maris' shoulder all while giving her the most condescending look I've seen in a long while. "But you are a child." She simply stated.

Seemingly offended by her teammate's words, Maris took a step back, subsequently removing the hand on her shoulder before placing her hands on her hips. She then shoot the rabbit girl a defying look. "Oh yeah? What proof do you have?"

Instead of answering her, the rabbit girl simply gave Maris' chest a pointed look.

"I still haven't reach my growth spurt yet! Maris quickly defended herself, using her arms to hide her rather pitifully empty chest with a pitiful whine. You know, I think Tiona and her would get along well since they both have something in common.

The bunny girl rolled her eyes before turning to address me. "Ah, where are my manners, allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Sarah." She said as she gave me a small bow of her head.

"You seem to be familiar with Maris already so I suppose there's no need to introduce her." She said before looking towards the male in their party. "That guy over there is David." She gestured at him. It would seem that at some point during our conversation, he had taken the liberty to lean against the wall and sat down.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked Sarah even though I had already made my guess earlier. Who knows, I could be wrong and David might just be suffering from a bad case of tummy ache.

"Oh, don't mind him too much. He's just suffering the consequences of his own lack of foresight. Because of his spontaneous decision to splurge all his money on a set of ridiculously heavy armor, he's been running out of stamina pretty quickly ever since. Dumb ass." Sarah muttered the last part to herself but I heard it just fine.

So I was right. David had committed one of the most well known rookie rpg mistake in history. He had most likely been eyeing that gear for a while and had been saving for it but forgot to check the stat requirement beforehand.

If this were a game, he'd be unable to equip it until he got stronger but since this is real life, he can wear it just fine but is severely hindered by it because of his lack of stats.

_Still, t__hey__ must be great friends to be able to poke fun at each other like that._ I thought with an amused smile before introducing ourselves. "My name is Cain and this one here is my little sister, Naaza. In case it wasn't obvious enough already, we're not related in any way. I just sort of adopted her at some point in my life and made her my honorary little sister."

"It's actually the other way around." Naaza spoke up.

"Oh, so that's who she is." Maris commented while looking at Naaza with an appraising look. "I recall seeing her with you at the Guild before but I never got the chance to ask who she was."

"Well, now you know. And it looks like you've got yourself some pretty interesting friends Maris." I told her.

"Ehehe. I sure do." Maris said happily. "We've actually known each other for years before we all decided to make a life for ourselves in Orario. Sarah might be a bit rude at times but she's got a good heart deep down and David can be really reliable….when he's not off being a goof that is."

She then look towards Naaza and gave her a smile and offered her right hand for a shake. "Hello there, I'm not sure if your brother ever said anything about me before but I'm Maris Hackard. Nice to finally meet you."

"Hello." Naaza simply replied with a polite nod of her head and said nothing more. She didn't shook Maris' hand though, mainly because she didn't want to let her know that her right hand is a prosthetic.

Maris turn her attention back to me with a wry smile as she let her hand down. "She's not much of a talker is she?"

"She's just shy." I grinned, earning a punch on my shoulder from said shy girl.

"I prefer to let Nii-san do the talking. He's much better at pretending to care about what others have to say." Naaza replied in her usual monotonous voice.

"Yes, it's an infuriating and thankless job but I do it so my little sister don't have to." I said with a sniffle, pretending to wipe away a tear from my eye from all the annoying hardships I had to endure to pass off as a normal person.

"There, there. I appreciate your sacrifice Nii-san." Naaza said consolingly while giving me a back rub while the two females that we've met look at us like we're weird.

"Well then, we're actually planning on reaching the 9th floor oursleves. Do you want to go together?" I informed them, causing Maris to brighten up at the thought that we'd be going together before it quickly turned into a frown.

"Wait. Since when could you go to the 9th floor?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously.

"But there is a slight problem that's we might have to deal with first before we can get there." I continued while pointedly ignoring Maris' question.

"Oh? What kind of problem is it?" Sarah asked, looking curious as well as amused with how I'm dealing with Maris.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" Maris fumed while stomping her foot in place like the child she is.

"It'll be easier to show you. Come on, said problem is just around the corner." I said while jerking my head towards where we needed to go.

"Hmm, alright then. Come on guys, let's go." Sarah ordered her team.

"But I'm the leader here. I'm suppose to be the one giving orders." Maris started muttering to herself, looking extremely sulky as she started drawing circles on the floor.

"F-five more minutes." David panted out from his position.

Sarah just facepalmed herself at the state her party is in before she rolled her eyes and look towards me.

"I'll get Maris to cheer up so we can get moving, can you help pull David up off his fat ass for me while I'm at it?" She requested.

Not seeing a reason to why I couldn't, I nodded and move towards where David is sitting.

"Hey." I greeted the guy and he gave me a shaky wave of his hand in return. I gave him a once over, observing his armor more carefully now that I'm closer before voicing my opinion on it. "What's the point of having heavy armor if you don't have a helmet to complete the set?" I asked as I offer my hand for him to grab onto.

"I do. It's just. hard to breath in it." He said in between breaths, reaching his own out and grabbing onto my forearm. I heave him up with a bit of effort and had to use both my arms to do so because he's weigh a lot more than I expected. It's no wonder he's always low on stamina. This guy might as well be carrying a small boulder on him all the time.

"Oof. You really should go back to your old armor." I said as I got him up.

"But I've spent so much money on this." He replied, sounding sadden at my words.

"Why would you even buy something like this?" I asked in curiosity, wondering just what his reason to purchase something so cumbersome in the first place could be.

"I got it so I could better protect my friends. If I could keep the monster's attention on me then it'll be less dangerous for them." He explained, looking rather proud of himself for coming up with that idea.

"Well, the way you are now you're most likely going to get everyone killed because they have to protect you as well since you can't move. What's going to happen once you get pinned down by a monster? You can't get up because of the weight of your armor and the monster's combined. And your team might lose their lives trying to save you because they turned their back on a monster trying to get you to." I told him flatly. My words might as well physically struck him because he winced with a hurtful expression.

"Ouch." Maris chimed in from the side. "Don't you know what subtlety means Cain? We've been trying to let him figure out how bad of an idea that is on his own instead of just saying it outright, you know." She looks a lot happier now so I'm guessing Sarah promised her ice-cream when they got back to the surface or something. Seriously, Maris is pretty easy to handle if you know how.

"I apologize for his bluntness. But Nii-san doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the safety of the people he cares about." Naaza explains.

"I see...Wait. Does that mean..." Maris trailed off while pointing at herself.

"Yep. Congratulations Hackard-san, you're officially one of the few people Nii-san actually cares about." Naaza said, shooting me a small smirk.

"Aww~" Maris let out in an endearing way.

"No I don't!" I replied quickly, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. I'm only looking out for my own interest after all. If something were to happen to Maris then Eina would no doubt be sad. If Eina is sad then Misha would be also sad as well. That would affect her judgment in letting me go lower into the Dungeon because she would scared that something might happen to me. I have a feeling that the girls would be upset if I say that out loud so I'll do the smart thing and keep that thought inside my head.

"Don't mind him. He's in denial." Naaza said and I realize that she's getting back at me for the shy comment.

"I'm not!" I said before turning back to David who's still looking a bit down. "Look, I'm not telling you to get rid of it, just keep it somewhere first until you've risen your strength and endurance stats. The higher they are the easier it'll be for you to wear heavy armor."

"I guess you're right." He sighed despondently but accepting of my logic.

"Great. Now take them off." I commanded.

"Wait what!?" He replied with his eyes widen in shock from what he's hearing.

"You're wearing clothes under it right? We're going to need to be quick to tackle this problem and I don't need you being nothing more than a meat shield this." I told him.

"You keep saying that there's a problem but you won't tell us what it is." Maris pointed out.

"Like I said, it'll be easier to show you guys." I replied to her before turning back to David. "If you're uncomfortable with stripping in front of strangers, can you at least promise me that your armor won't cause any problems when we're fighting?"

"Yeah, of course I can fight while I'm wearing this. The only reason I'm so out of breath was because Maris had been running forward the entire time and we've been chasing after her floor after floor. I can keep going as long as I can pace myself properly." David told me, causing me to narrow my eyes at Maris. Said blue haired girl seem to find the ceiling very interesting all of the sudden and started whistling innocently.

"Right….anyway, follow me." I told them and proceed to lead them to the spot where Naaza and I were hiding behind to get a good look at just what we would be facing.

**-0-**

"Woah, that's a lot of Killer Ants." Maris muttered apprehensively as she unknowingly copied the pose I did when I was peeking from the corner. Sarah and David were doing the same with David peaking from the bottom, Sarah in the middle and Maris on top. If I were to look at them from the side where they're peeking at, they would no doubt look like one of those totem pole with heads stacking upwards.

"Indeed. Now I know just why you wanted our help for this." Sarah commented grimly as she gaze upon the black sea of Killer Ants in front of her. Their numbers might have increased a bit since the last time I've checked. Someone must've pissed them off somehow and got this group to gather here. "This horde would be too much for just two Adventurers to clear our on their own."

"Let's not forget that they can call for reinforcements when they think that they're in trouble. We'll need to kill them all quickly before they do, otherwise we may be drag into a battle of attrition. It's something I'd like to avoid if possible." I informed them while taking my sword out of it's scabbard.

While I may have the ability to store weapons freely, I'm not stupid enough to go into the Dungeon without at least a weapon at the ready. I'm also not stupid enough to use it willy-nilly and let everyone know just what kind of ability that I have. You'll never know when someone might turn into an enemy at some point in the future and I'd like to keep as many aces in reserve as possible for such an occurrence.

"Right then, let's come up with a plan of action and get to clearing this horde. It wouldn't do if we take too long and another party of inexperience Adventurers stumble upon this and get themselves killed after all." I told them. "Any ideas or suggestions?"

The three stop peeking and gather around to talk with each other. It took a short moment but they all seem to agree on something and Sarah eventually spoke for her team. "With the five of us, it should be as simple as killing them all before they can call for help right?" Sarah suggested.

"Ah, a simple and straightforward plan. Why didn't I think of that?" I muttered.

"You do tend to overthink things Nii-san." Naaza pointed out.

"Yeah, guess that's true."

"Oh oh. I have an idea." Maris whispers excitedly so she doesn't draw the attention of the Killer Ants, causing everyone to look at her. "Since we're just going to charge in and kill everything, let's make it a contest! Let's see which party can take down the most Killer Ants." She put forth the idea giddily with a childish glint in her eyes. Sarah just facepalmed while David rolled his eyes like they've experienced this many times before.

"I don't think that's a great idea Maris." I voice out, a bit concern that things might get out of hand or something might go wrong in the process.

"Why not? Scared?" Maris grinned, wagging her eyebrow at me and Naaza childishly.

"Of course not. Nii-san probably thinks that it's dangerous." Naaza replied rather stiffly, causing Maris to smile slightly as she regard my little sister with an almost predatory look.

_Oh no, I know that look._ I thought to myself as I watch Maris focus on my little sister. Looks like Maris found a new target for her teasing.

"I see. So your big bro _is_ a scaredy cat." Maris smirked at my little sister. I don't really mind her words that much because that's just how Maris is. She loves to push people's buttons just to see how they'd react but she doesn't mean any harm. And judging by the smile that she's wearing right now, it would seem that she found Naaza's reaction fun.

"No he's not. You're just being childish right now." Naaza replied testily and looking a bit annoyed at Maris.

"Oh really? From what I know, he's just a big wuss who can't fight a monster head on. Always sneaking around and stabbing monsters in the back like a coward." Maris' smile seem to grow and she look like she could barely contain her excitement while Naaza's face seem to darken.

"Take that back! Nii-san isn't a wuss! He's way better than you at fighting monsters. I've seen it myself." Naaza responded with a slight growl. Oh dear, she only does that when she's agitated or angry, which is a very rare sight to behold. She's usually so level headed and hard to provoke. It took me years to learn which button to press to make her mad but yet Maris seem to be pushing all the right buttons without trying.

Rather than being taken aback by how aggressive Naaza is being, Maris just let out a girlish squeal and proceed to glomp Naaza and began rubbing her cheeks against hers, much to the Chienthrope's surprise and confusion.

"Oh! You're just so cute getting all protective of your Nii-san like that. I just couldn't help it." Maris cooed happily. "Ohhh, I'm so jealous! I want a cute little sister who gets all angry for me as well." Oh, so that's why Naaza got so angry; she was getting mad for my sake. D'awwww. Maris is right, that really is cute.

"Let go." Naaza demanded with a distressed whine and an alarmed look on her face but found herself unable to escape the blue haired girl's grasp. Realizing that her attempts were futile, she turn to me for help. "Nii-san! Save me!" She pleaded as Maris continues to smother her with affection.

While the sight is amusing and all, I can't let it play out too long because they're being loud and might draw the attention of the Killer Ants. So I step in to free Naaza via karate chopping Maris on the head. The girl let out a pained yelp and loosen her hold on Naaza. Realizing that this is her chance, Naaza quickly bailed and hid behind me, using my body as a shield against Maris and only peeking out to glare at her.

"Maris, Naaza is my cute little sister and only I get to tease her all I want, get your own." I replied with a smug grin, causing Maris to pout at me while rubbing her head.

"That's not fair. You know I would if I could but my parents didn't want any more kids after me." Maris complained.

"Yeah, yeah. At least apologize to Naaza for the things you've said to upset her. Unlike me, Naaza has a sensitive heart and gets upset easily." I told her, grinning all the while. Naaza, on the other hand, responded to my words by pinching me on the back while muttering 'I do not.' unhappily.

"Alright, alright." Maris agreed before looking towards Naaza. "Naaza-san, I'm sorry for saying those things. It's just that you were so adorable and I couldn't help myself but want to tease you more." Maris told her apologetically.

Naaza gaze at the girl with a distrustful stare and looked completely unconvinced by her words. "….fine. I forgive you." She eventually uttered out, still using my body as a shield. "And Nii-san isn't a coward." She added adamantly.

"Wow, you're really upset about that huh?" Maris pointed out.

Naaza only huffed at her in response.

"Well, if you're that worked up about it then why don't you make your Nii-san prove it? If you guys kill more ants then us then I'll acknowledge that your Nii-san is a great fighter." Maris suggested with a grin, apparently still haven't given up on the idea. I could only roll my eyes at how childish that she's being right now.

"Fine! Come on, Nii-san. Let's go prove to her that you're the best." Naaza said, tugging at my shirt to get me moving.

I just chuckled at Naaza's equally childish reaction. "Sure, sure. A friendly competition this may be but let's not forget that this is the Dungeon that we're in. We shouldn't let our eagerness to win affect our judgment in battle and put our lives at risk."

"Of course." Maris nodded, looking very eager to get this started as she unsheathe her twin short swords.

"Oh, and to make things fair-" I added, glancing at Naaza for a bit and looking back to Maris before continuing. "If you win, I'll lend Naaza to you to be your honorary little sister for a day."

"Nii-san!" The look of betrayal on Naaza's face was so hurtful that I almost took my offer back, almost.

"Don't look so surprise Naaza-chan. Since this is a competition and all, we need to wager something as well."

"But why me?"

"Well, we just have to make sure to win now don't we?" I replied to her with a cheeky smile.

Maris' eyes seem to lit up with flames of determination when she heard my words and she turn to her party immediately. "Guys! We need to win no matter what! I'll get myself a little sister even if I have to throw David into the ants as a distraction!" Maris declared.

"Hey!" David cried out indignantly, though didn't seem to be all that upset as he understood that it's all in good jest.

"Well then." Sarah said wryly. "If you guys are finally done horsing around, I suggest we get to work already before the sun goes d-" She stopped suddenly and a look of surprise flash across her face. I look at her with a bit of confusion but I noticed that her ears were moving a lot.

Realizing that she's listening for something, I look towards Naaza and saw that her ears were twitching a lot as well. Her brows were furrowed in concerned and wearing a confused expression on her face.

Maris and David seem to pick up that something was up with their friend and both share looks of concern as they went over to her and began speaking to her.

"What's wrong? I ask Naaza, feeling a bit of concerned myself. I was also focusing on my hearing but being a normal human, I can't really hear as good as they can.

"I don't know." She replied. "I think I can hear a bunch of noises but I'm not sure just what's making it." Naaza said uncertainly. "I do know that it's getting closer though."

"I think I know what it is." Sarah said, drawing our attention. I noted that she doesn't seem worried at all so whatever it is, it must be something that won't be a danger to us. "At any rate, I don't think the Killer Ants are going to be a problem for much longer." She declared confidently, confusing the rest of us as to how she'd know that.

"Really? Why not?" David asked.

"You'll see." Sarah replied with a smug smile and I realize just what she meant once I heard it too. It's faint at first but it gradually grew louder as time goes on.

It's the thumping of feet marching, a sound that I would have a hard time forgetting.

Their steps are not in sync like an army's would be but the vibration on the ground is enough to convey their numbers. Whoever is coming our way is without a doubt a very large group.

"What's that?" Maris asked once she heard the sound too.

"Footsteps." I replied as I look towards where the sound is coming from. "And as for whose, it's apparently Loki's Familia." I told her once people started entering my sights. They were using another path to reach the stairs so our paths won't cross.

Leading at the front of the exceptionally large group of Adventurers was none other than Loki Familia's core members. I can see a blond Pallum at the forefront that's well known as the Braver; he is also the captain of the Familia. A green haired female elf was following behind at his side called Nine Hell as well as a male brown haired dwarf with a neat looking beard that's known as Elgarm.

Those are not their real names of course, it's their alias.

An alias is kind of like a nickname or second name given to all Adventurers once they reach Level 2. It can also change every time an Adventurer levels up but it all depends on the Gods giving them. They tend to gather every three months or so for meetings called Denatus to discuss worldly affairs and stuff. Aliases for Adventurers that ranked up were also given out during that time.

They say that the Gods took the meeting seriously and decide how the world would progress during that time but I know that it's total bullshit. As someone who knows how most Gods and Goddess really are, I know for a fact that they just generally fuck around all day and not doing anything productive. Just like the governments back on earth.

Also, certain Gods take advantage of the naming process to give the most cringe worthy names to Adventurers for entertainment purposes. The only way to escape that fate is to be from a powerful Familia who can outvote that name.

And for some reason, the people in this world have different tastes because they consider those chuunibyou sounding aliases to be cool. I had to physically stiffen my entire body to stop myself from cringing when I heard some of the names that were given. It didn't help when the Adventurer with said alias was proudly declaring his' out loud when introducing himself.

Great, just thinking about it made me remember that guy again. God damn it Cockspinner you bastard. I hope you slam your dick on a toilet seat or something. Ugh, it's going to be a while before I forget about him again. I just hope Naaza won't get some stupid name once she leveled up in the future.

Oh, Bete and the two Amazons that I've met long ago were there as well. I think I saw a blond haired little girl with them as well that's being pestered by Tiona right now.

We all watch as they walk right into the horde of Killer Ants and made short work out of them. I'm not even sure what happened to be honest, they were moving too fast for me to keep track. It didn't even take them half a minute before the area is cleared while the rest of the group kept on moving without pause. I can see some of their supporters lagging behind, moving swiftly to collect any loot left behind before they rejoin the group.

I let out a whistle of appreciation. "Man, those are first class adventurers for you." I mutter to myself, wondering just how easy earning money would be if I was as strong as they were.

"Woah! Did you guys see that!? They were so cool! Those Killer Ants didn't even stood a chance at all!" Maris squealed excitedly, hopping in place while hugging Sarah with one hand and pointing at the aforementioned group with another. Sarah just looked annoyed at how she's being jerked around by her leader.

"Yeah….but what are they doing here?" David asked with a tone of disbelief. The utter ease that the Loki Familia tore through the Killer Ants pretty much made him realize just how far they have to go before they can reach their level.

"Oh, it's because they're going on an expedition. It's conveniently timed too since they took care of the Killer Ants for us." I replied.

"Oh. How'd you know that?" Sarah asked curiously.

"I found out about it just yesterday actually. Didn't think that we'd actually run into them as they descend into the Dungeon though." I told her before giving the area a glace. "Looks like we won't be having our contest after all." I pointed out.

"Awwww..." Maris let out dejectedly as she let her weapons down.

"Well, there's no reason for us to stay here anymore. It was nice meeting you all." I said before gesturing to Naaza to follow me and start walking towards the now unblocked stairs.

"Oh wait! Since we're all heading to the same place, how about we stick together as one big party?" Maris suggested while following me with her party behind her. "Come on, it'll be a fun adventure."

"Well, I'm not against it or anything…." I said thoughtfully. There's safety in numbers after all. "What do you think Naaza?" I asked her for her opinion.

"I don't particularly mind." She replied nonchalantly, though I have a feeling that she'd rather our journey be just the two of us. Looks like she still have a thing against Maris for the things she had said. Oh well, she'll warm up to her eventually.

"Alright then. Looks like we'll be sticking together for the time being." I told Maris and she did a cheerful fist pump.

"Woo hoo! Alright, adventure here we come." She announced with a bright smile on her face and we all proceed down the stairs.

**-0-**

**Orario- Hostess of Fertility**

**-0-**

Our trip to the Dungeon was rather fruitful today thanks to Maris and her party. With them around, we managed to kill monsters at a faster rate. Even though we agree to split the loot in half for both parties, it's still a lot more than what we could've gotten if it's just the two of us.

I didn't get to do much during the entire trip though. It's mainly because Maris keeps stealing my kills. I would reach a monster and is about to attack it only for it to die when Maris rush over and kill it for me. She's been running around and killing any monsters that entered her sight the entire time. I swear it's like watching an angry chihuahua on a rampage.

At the end of the day, I manage to sympathize with her party for having such an energetic person as their team leader. Naaza also got along with them somewhat and she seem to enjoy being with Sarah more than Maris, much to the blue haired girl's dismay.

As for David and I, there's not much to say about that other than the fact that we're already talking to each other like we've known each other for decades. He's a good chap that David, a bit mistreated by the girls maybe but what good man isn't?

The girls were rather baffled at how quick we were at becoming buddies too. We didn't bother explaining it to them since it's a guy thing that they wouldn't understand. Now all we need is an argument and then a fistfight before we can consider each other as brothers.

The most interesting to happen during our partied up adventure was during the end of it. Maris manage to wore herself out completely because of all the running around that she did and was too tired to move, let alone return back to the surface.

Being such a nice guy and is in no way getting back at her for kill stealing from me the entire time, I pick her up and carried her back like a sack of potatoes. Oh, I didn't stop at the surface too. I took her all the way back to the Guild, using the most crowded streets and walking as slow as I could manage. The embarrassment that she was feeling the entire time was almost palpable. I could see that her entire face was red even when she's trying to hide it with her hands and her team spent the entire time teasing her as well.

Eina and Misha was surprise to see us entering the building like that but that surprise soon turn into teasing and laughter once the story was told.

Maris kicked me on the shin pretty hard once she regained her strength though, but it was worth it. Hopefully she'd learn not to steal my kills again after that.

After that, Naaza and I went back home to freshen up before we help out in closing the shop with Miach. With the shop closed and secured, we all head out and went to the pub.

Upon entry, I spotted that Anya was playing cards with some of the girls and there's a general lazy atmosphere hanging in the air. I can hear noise coming from the kitchen so I'm assuming that dinner preparation is underway. "Hey, I'm here. Hope I'm not too late to help with the cooking." I greeted everyone.

"Pardon for our intrusion and thank you for inviting us." Miach said politely as he entered the pub. Naaza just move to watch the game of cards that's being played.

"No problem nya. A party is meant to be celebrated with lots of people nya." Anya replied before showing her cards with a smug smile, causing the rest of the girls she's playing with to groan in defeat. "Anyway, make yourselves at home nya. The party will start as soon as the food's ready nya." She informed us while greedily collecting the money that has been placed on the table.

"Sure thing. I'll just head off to the kitchen then. Just don't make too much of a mess before the party even starts." I reminded them as I head towards the back, leaving them to their game.

**-0-**

By the time the sun finally sets, the party was going in full throttle.

May had made all the pub's signature dish as well as some of her own recipes that she had been dying to try out. The end results were something out of cooking anime where the food were all fancy looking while giving out an aroma that would make people drool on the spot.

Two tables were placed together so we could put all the dishes down and Anya took it upon herself to announce the start of the party. Drinks were served and food was consumed at a monstrous rate.

With their bellies filled, the girl started to play games and generally making a ruckus that normally happens during a party. I saw that Naaza had being drag into a card game along with Ryuu despite their reluctance to do so. Miach however seem to be unknowingly seducing the girls again as he shower them with compliments that comes from that pure innocent heart of his. Man, girls sure are weak against that stuff.

I on the other hand, have been busy putting leftover food into containers to take home. What? There's still a lot left and it'd be a shame to let them go to waste.

While I was busy stealing food, my mind was thinking about the impending attack coming tonight. It's hard not to when the place you come to regard as your second home is about to be attacked.

If I were stronger, I'd rather take the fight to them instead of letting them do what they want.

But that's the problem isn't it. I'm not.

I'm weak. Not even worth noting in this city of powerhouses.

I've come to realize that I can't be stuck being so weak all the time if I want to keep poking my nose into other people's business. But something like that is easier said than done.

I've trained everyday, did my daily workouts without fail but that could only do so much here. In this world, you also need to take Falna into the equation. The higher it is then the stronger you'll be, you'll be able to take down dragons even if you're a scrawny looking child.

The problem I have there is that it takes so long to raise them and it's frustrating.

I've talk to a few Adventurers in the pub as well as read many books in order to learn how to stronger but was met with many contradictory information. But I did learn one thing that's consistent, it's that an Adventurer can't grow stronger if they don't go on adventures.

I spent some time wondering what it meant. Was the phrase literal or metaphorical? And after spending weeks pondering on it, I came to a conclusion that it doesn't matter.

Either way, I know that I'm doing something wrong with the way I do things. Could it be that by playing it safe I'm inadvertently slowing myself from getting stronger? Should I stop seeing Dungeon diving as just a mission where the end result is gaining money to pay off my Familia's debt? Should I just go ahead without any plan whatsoever and fight every monster head on?

But would be stupid, not to mention that it would go against everything I've been trained to do. Besides, it's not like I'm not getting stronger by doing what I usually do.

I was knocked out of my musing when I receive a visit from a chirpy looking Anya. "Are you enjoying yourself Cainya?" She asked while putting more food onto her plate.

"Of course." I replied with a small smile.

"Muuuu. It's always hard to tell if you're being genuine or just humoring us nya." She said, sounding a bit annoyed before pointing a drumstick at me. "If you're still worried about tonight then don't worry nya. The girls and I are ready to help Ryuu when trouble comes nya. It may not be long since the broody elf came but she's practically family now nya. And we'll do everything to protect our family nya. So stop worrying and let loose nya! The main point of a party is to enjoy yourself nya."

"Guess you're right. I already know how furiously protective you are of each other so there's no need for me to worry about that." I nodded in agreement, resolving to let them handle this part while I deal with something else.

"Not just us, we're also protective of our only little brother nya know. We'd also keep you safe as well so don't you forget that nya." Anya replied, puffing her chest out proudly.

"Oh, I know. Like how you'd follow me into the Dungeon when I first started out as an Adventurer to keep me safe right?" I said with a smirk.

"Munya! You noticed!?" Anya looked shocked and a bit embarrassed. "But I've made sure to be all sneaky nya! How could you have spotted me nya!?" She demanded.

"It's hard not to notice when you're shouting, 'where did he go nya!?' whenever you lost sight of me. Subtlety isn't really your strong suit Anya." I pointed out.

"It's not my fault nya. You're just too sneaky nya!" Anya fumed animatedly, almost dropping her plate in the process.

I chuckle slightly at her response before asking her a question. "Since you eventually stopped, I guess you decide to trust me to be able to take care of myself right?"

"...of course nya." She eventually replied, looking rather uneasy for some reason. I wanted to ask her what's wrong but she continued speaking. "There's also Mama Mia scolding me for abandoning my post all the time too nya. But I figured that you'll be fine as long as you're careful nya. Anyway, I'm going to find something to drink nya. See you around nya." She said before quickly departing.

I watch her go before muttering in confusion. "Huh. Wonder what's that all about..."

**-0-**

Time passed eventfully in the pub as games were played and laughs were shared. Things got a bit wild near the end when alcohol was brought out, much to my dismay because everyone got drunk with me and Ryuu being the only exception since we didn't drink any.

Anya manage to trick Naaza into drinking some earlier and she got drunk immediately due to her low alcohol tolerance. Miach decided to bring her back so she could rest but told me not to worry and to enjoy the party myself. It's a great thing because I don't need to find an excuse to make them return early.

After spending the night trying to stop the girls from doing any damage to the pub or themselves, I'm currently sitting in front of an empty table taking a well deserved break. The girls have been pacified and is currently sitting together and talking about girl stuff that I'm not invited to. It was a moment of peace for myself that I use to mentally prepare myself for when I need head out to do what's needed. It's still quite early so there's still some time to waste.

It didn't take long before I noticed someone coming over, most likely wanting to talk with me, not that I mind since distractions are always welcome. I look up from the table and saw May staggering over to my table with a bottle of alcohol in her hand, face flushed with redness. Just from a single glance is enough to tell me that she's severely intoxicated. Once she reached me she had to place the bottle down on the table and planted her hands on the edge to keep herself from toppling over.

"Cain-kun! Come and join *hic* us. Theresh still plenty of drinks to go 'round." She said happily while leaning her entire weight onto the table. I had to place a hand on it to keep it from flipping over.

"May, why are you drinking with the rest?" I asked with an amused smile while nodding at the bottle. "You know you can't handle it alcohol at all. You're going to be regretting it in the morning."

"Ah didn't wan to at first but sumone change my mind." She replied.

"Let me guess, Anya." I guessed.

"Yeah!"

"Damn that troublemaker." I mutter to myself before speaking to May. Just how many innocent souls had she tricked into drinking with her tonight? "You know better than to let Anya convince you to do something stupid." I chided her.

"But *hic* everyone wash realleh enjoying themselves. I'm feeling relleh left out since ah was the only one not drinking." She pouted at me, lips quivering slightly in sadness.

"Well...I guess it's alright if you don't overdo it." I replied. Damn me and my inability to resist cute things. "Meaning you need to stop now. You're already having trouble standing as you are. Anymore would be disastrous for you in the morning."

"No." She refuses stubbornly, making a move to grab her bottle. Anticipating that she would refuse, I had already made the first move and snatched it away right before she could lay her hands on it. I lift the bottle above my head to stop her from getting it.

"Hey! *hic* Gimme back." She cried out while trying to reach for it and failing due to the table between us preventing her from doing so.

"Alright, you have enough already so take a- Hey! What are you doing?" I look at her in confusion as she suddenly stops trying to reach for it and suddenly vanishes from my sight by crouching down. I immediately got my answer when I felt her crawling under the table. I quickly move my chair back and peek down and found her crawling over. "Hey! Get up from there, it's dirty."

She suddenly leap up from the ground and ram herself onto me, knocking the air out of my lungs and toppling me over from the impact.

"Oof." I let out, using my free hand to grab onto the table and planted my feet near the back legs of the chair to keep myself from falling completely.

May took the chance to straddle onto me and reach for the bottle but I refused to let her have to so I tried moving it further away instead. "Mine. Gimme." She pleaded as her tried to grab it, only failing due to her shorter limbs.

"No means no. Now get off me already. I'm about to fall." I warned her as I felt my legs straining just to keep the chair in place with both our weights combined.

Instead of getting off, I was quite surprise to find her wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her nose against mine. "Meanie." She called me.

I must say, this defenseless looking May is somehow making me a bit flustered. Adding in her blushing face with her natural cuteness only made it worse. I'm also suddenly very aware of her chest pressing against mine.

Wait wait wait. What's with this intimate situation I'm suddenly in. What the actual fuck, how did this even happen? It's almost as thought fate had decided that my life was too boring and set up that situation just for fun.

Thankfully, my legs gave out before anything could happen and we both fell to the floor. Now we're both just laying there with me being a bit dazed and confused at what just happened. I look over to May, a bit worried that she might be hurt but found her completely fine. She seem to have fallen asleep while nuzzling her face on the crook of my neck. Ugh, she smells like alcohol, just how much had she drank?

"Nye he he. Cain-kun's smell. So nicesh." She mumbled out sleepily.

Okay what? Also, what's that sound? And why do I feel rumbling coming from May's throat? Is she purring? It definitely sounds like she's purring. _I can feel the her chest squishing __themselves on-__._ Wait, stop! Hold that thought. We're not going there brain. Ever.

Why am I getting so conscious of her body all of the sudden?

I involuntarily let out a grimace when I finally realize just what's causing my mind to shift into that direction. _Oh god no. __I don't __need__ to deal with this __now__. __Fucking hormones._I thought to myself as I withheld a groan from escaping.

Puberty. I can't believe I've forgotten about it. Ho boy, these next few years are going to suck.

Ah well, complaining isn't going to get rid of it any faster so I guess I'll just have to suck it up and deal with it. The downside of growing up again I suppose.

Realizing that May's still laying on top of me, I carefully move her away so I could get up. I took a look around and saw that no one is paying any attention to us and some of the girls have already clonked out from the excessive alcohol they had consumed. Ah well, the sound of fighting would wake them up so no worries there.

I decided to move May somewhere else to sleep that isn't in the middle of the floor where she could easily get trampled on. I picked her up and move to somewhere that has less traffic.

With that done, I decide to find a distraction to keep myself from thinking about my sad revelation too much. Maybe I should get to cleaning. Yeah, that always works.

**-0-**

After clearing the tables and storing away leftover food, I spent my time at the back washing the mountains of dishes generated by the party. I don't particularly mind doing it as it kept me busy and it might keep Mama Mia from punishing the girls too hard tomorrow. It's only nine right now so there's no need to hurry. People are still wandering out in the street for their late night strolls or out playing so it's not the most opportune time for an attack.

However, I was surprise when Ryuu suddenly comes in and started helping me with the dishes right next to me.

"Shouldn't you be partying with the rest or something? It's not everyday that you'd get a day off to enjoy yourself you know." I asked her.

"Everyone's already asleep. And I thought I should help with something at the very least." She simply replied.

"Everyone? Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Ugh. Typical. Should've expected that when alcohol was brought out." I muttered before returning to the dishes. Time trickles on with the two of us doing our part in silence and it was rather peaceful to be honest.

"Thank you." Ryuu suddenly spoke.

"Hmm? What for?" I asked, a bit puzzled that she would say that all of the sudden.

"For teaching me things and being patient with me. I am aware that I am not the easiest person to get along with…."

I let out an amused snort at that. Understatement of the century if I ever heard any. "I didn't do much. If anything you should be thanking Syr. She's the one who's stuck with you and taught you the most."

At the mention of the gray haired waitress, Ryuu's features seem to soften a bit. "Indeed. But still, you've helped as well, especially when it comes to cleaning the messes that I've made." She said, sounding rather guilty.

"It's not like you're the first to keep making a mess. You should've seen Syr or Anya when they first started. I thought I might be stuck as the janitor for the rest of my life." I told her wryly, earning a small upward twitch on her lips.

"Why did you though?" She eventually asked.

"Hm?" I hummed inquiringly, asking for clarification.

"I noticed that you've always put other people first before yourself. Why?" She asked, sounding a bit curious.

Have she been keeping an eye on me as well? Gee, I didn't know I'm actually important enough to be of interest to someone. "I guess I just want to make things easier for others. I mean, it's not like I don't know what you're going through so every little bit helps right?"

She turn slightly to look at me, giving me a blank look that's almost as though she's thinking 'do you really?'

I let out a small sigh and rub the back of my neck. "There's a tiny voice of doubt in the back of your head, asking if you actually deserve this new life of yours. Am I right?"

She didn't reply but the look in her eyes was telling enough.

"You'll find that it's a common thought process that almost everyone working here had." Me included, though I didn't have that moment here. I came here only to learn how to cook mainly because I want to be more of a use to my Familia. "It might take months, years, decades even, for you to finally be at peace with yourself with what you've done but you'll get there."

She looked like she wanted to believe me but it looks to me like the burden of her sins seem to be stopping her. Honestly, it's like I'm looking at a mirror. No wonder why Syr made mentioned that Ryuu reminds me of myself. "Do I even deserve to be saved?" She murmured, looking rather frighten but also seemly curious of my opinion."

"As cliché as it sounds, only you can answer that question. You can't really find redemption if you don't believe yourself to be deserving of it." I told her while giving her a smile. "Take your time. There's no need to hurry after all. If you ever find yourself struggling with something, never be afraid to ask for a helping hand. The girls here will gladly come to your aid."

My words seem to ease her worries a little so I thought I'd offer some advice to help her deal with her problem. It's not like I have anything to lose. Besides, I've given it to some of the girls already and they seem to be doing fine afterwards. "I have some advice if you're struggling with your past. Do you want to hear it?" I offered.

Ryuu didn't say anything but I said it anyway. "'Always forward, never backwards'. That's my personal motto. The way I see it, you can't really move forward if you keep looking back. Sure the memories will be there and you can't help but wallow in them from time to time but so long as you don't stop moving ahead, you'll eventually come to accept those memories, and move beyond it's reach. Don't let them become your shackles to chain you down Lyon-san. Life's too short for that." I told her in a sagely manner.

"I'll...consider your words." She eventually replied.

"That's all I ask." I said to her before letting out a small snort when I realized something. "Heh, this might be the first time we've actually talked properly." I noted. The rest of the times we've ever had a conversation is because our jobs demanded it and we didn't really say much beyond what's necessary. "It's not as bad as I thought it would be if we were ever forced to have an actual conversation."

"Really? How did you imagine it would go?" She asked with a bit of curiosity in her tone.

"Well, I usually imagine that it'd go somewhere like this. I'd say something and then you'd punch me through a wall." I replied, causing her to frown at me.

"I'm not a violent brute that you're making me out to me." She sounded somewhat sad that I have that image of her.

"The many times you sent Anya flying seem to indicate otherwise." I quipped.

"T-that's because she kept trying to touch my hand." She quickly defended herself.

"I know." I replied with a small chuckle. "I'm just messing with you Lyon-san. So, may I ask why the sudden interest in me? Frankly, I thought you'd be happy without having to interact with me unless necessary. Should I be worried?" I teased with a smirk on my face.

"It's just that I find it particular that you are the only male staff here." She simply stated.

"Oh, that. I'll be honest with you, I don't quite know why myself and I never asked. Did you ask the other girls about it though?"

"I did ask Syr why but her answer didn't help clear up much."

"Oh? What did she say?"

"She said everyone here has their own baggage to deal with."

"Not exactly the most direct answer I suppose. Huh, I guess it's reason enough for Mia not to dismiss me yet."

"I see...so you're the same as well…." She murmured.

With nothing much left to say, silence fell upon us and we mainly focus on clearing the dishes. With Ryuu's help, we manage to get everything done way quicker than I would've alone. Ryuu was putting the plates away while I dry my hands. I thought to myself that now should be the best time to give her the thing that I made.

"Thanks for the help Lyon-san. Now let's get down to business shall we?" I said simply as I walk towards the nearest table.

The elf shoot me a confused look. "What do you mean?"

With my back turned to her, I took out a small pouch from my storage so she doesn't see where I got it from and put it on the table. Then I put down a few vials of potions as well just in case. "These are for you. Go on, take it." I gesture at the pouch.

Ryuu just seem even more confused as she walk up to the table to take stock of what's on the table.

"I'm sure that you've already noticed your stalkers by now and you should know that they'll strike tonight. These will help at least. It's not much but it's all I can offer." At my words, Ryuu's expression seem to harden and her eyes sharpened with attention. "The two that are after you are the infamous Black Fist and Black Cat. One is an assassin that focuses on drugs and poisons while the other is a bounty hunter that uses her fists. Good news is that they're not known to use range attacks so they'll be coming at you close and personal. Black Cat is known to be very cunning so expect her to attack from places you'd never expect. Black Fist is more simple, she likes to charge in head first without any plan whatsoever and take out her target as quickly as she could. As long as you avoid getting boxed in and being poisoned, you should be able to survive."

"How do you know all this?" She asked.

"I did my research. This isn't the first time the pub took in someone with a price on their heads after all." I informed her with nonchalant shrug, earning an incredulous raise of an eyebrow from the elf. "Oh, and if you haven't noticed yet, there's a place in your uniform's sleeve where you can attach a hidden weapon so you'll never be unarmed. Or, if you prefer longer weapons, your skirt can hide it from view just fine. Most of the girls are actually armed all the time."

Taking in what I've told her, she went to open the pouch and took out a marble sized ball from it.

"What is it?" She asked, studying the ball in her hand.

"A bomb to halt people in their tracks. It has a very small radius so it works best if you throw it at their faces and whatever you do, don't get it by it." I warned her, mind thinking back to the testing phase.

'_Hey Bete! Catch!'_

'_Wha- ARRAGHGHHHH! MY EYES! # ^$%^ #$!-'_

A high level individual they may be, it comforts me to know that they are still people in the end. That means that they come with the same weaknesses that normal people do. It's a good thing I manage to catch up with Bete yesterday. He's the only high level Adventurer I know who won't kill me instantly for doing something like that. It helps that he was in too much pain to come after me as I ran away after confirming that it works.

Note to self: prepare some steak for when he returns and grovel for forgiveness. Addendum: add black pepper sauce.

"What's it made out." She asked warily, looking at the dangerous item in her hand out a bit more cautiously.

"Pepper. An incredulous amount of pepper." I deadpanned. I originally wanted to make tear gas that would envelope a larger radius but I'm severely limited by this world's technology so pepper bombs are the best I can create on a short notice.

She sets it down and look towards me, expression unreadable as always. "Why? Why go through all that trouble for me?"

"Why you ask? Well, I'm just a lowly level one so it goes without saying that I'm not going to be much help at all when it comes to fighting your assailants. The most I can do against them is to bleed aggressively on them and hope that they slip on my blood puddle to buy time." I told her with a bit of a chuckle. It may sound stupid but it's actually pretty effective. Don't ask how I know that.

"No. I meant why would you risk yourself for someone like me? I imagine that it is a dangerous task to investigate who my attacks are. If they ever found out about what you were doing then your life could be at risk." She said, sounding worried for my safety.

I must say, I'm actually a bit flattered. "My life is always at risk, it's just a matter of how I risk it. I'm very protective of my family you see, and I consider the girls here to be my second family. Naturally, that includes you." I told her with a cheeky smile.

"That's absurd." She replied, looking unsure of what to do with that information.

"Heh, by the sacred law set forth by the dictator known as Mia Grand, every employee here is her family and she is their mother. You may deny it at first but you already belong here like the rest of the ragtag bunch of misfits. Best get use to it, Onee-chan. I grinned before laughing at the gobsmacked look she's giving me.

**-0-**

"Well then Lyon-san. I wish you the best of luck. I best skedaddle on out of here before your attackers shows up. The girls should wake up when they hear the sound of fighting so you should expect reinforcements shortly after you're attacked." I said to the elf while standing outside of the pub, letting the cool night air wash over me.

She nodded and bid me good night before locking the door, most likely intending to prepare herself for an attack.

Instead of heading home right away, I took a glance around the area to see if anyone is nearby. Seeing that it's just an empty street, I proceed to climb up towards the nearest roof and survey the surroundings for a bit. There aren't any signs of the two killers at all and I let myself relax a little.

I focus a bit and the coat that I received from Syr appeared over me, covering my entire body completely and I pull the hood up to hide my face. The coat that Syr made is completely featureless and extends to my legs with buttons in the front to keep it closed. I must say, Syr really does good work with it as I can move my entire body freely while wearing it. And best of all, no frills! I would've burn it instantly when I found out that it has frills. No offense to Syr's hard work of course but no, just no.

There's not much I can do here so staying would be pointless. Instead, I'm going to do something that I can do. My head turn upwards and spot that there's no moon out right now.

Perfect. Extra security for me.

With my destination in mind, I began parkouring my way towards it, completely silent and unnoticed. As far as the world's concern, I don't exist right now.

**-0-**

Modaka of the Ganesha Familia is diligently doing paperwork into the dead of night in his office. To be perfectly honest, he'd rather be in bed sleeping but sadly, he just can't with so much to do.

He stops writing for a bit and put his pen down, leaning back against his chair to take a short break. He let out a small sigh and pick up a cup of coffee he had on his desk. He took small sips, savoring the taste and letting the caffeine do it's job in keeping him awake.

While that was going on, his mind was thinking about what had happened since Rudra Familia was dismantled. To be honest, it was a period of restlessness for them.

With Rudra Familia gone, Evilus had lost their last support base and had taken to scattering all over the city to go into hiding. His Familia had been constantly working overtime to catch as many of them as they can before they vanish into thin air and they didn't make it easy for them at all.

But that's not all, evidence found in the Rudra Familia compound suggest that there are still other people or groups who are secretly working with Evilus. It's bad because they might even hide Evilus members or help them escape from the city. But there aren't any leads that they could follow just yet as they're still investigating and going through what they had found.

It made him uneasy that those bastards are still out there, most likely trying to regain their strength so they could get revenge. He really wish they could get a lucky break or something that would make their job easier.

Just as he finish thinking that, there was a crash and his window smashed opened. Something blur past his face, smashing the cup in his hands apart and struck the wall. The contains of the cup were poured all over him and he let out a yelp of surprise as he fell over. Thankfully, the coffee was room temperature and it didn't get on his paperwork.

He hid behind the table for a while preparing for a fight, thinking that whatever just happened was an attack from Evilus remnants.

"Nantoka! Are you alright!?" Iruta Farna, a member of the same Familia, shouted in worry as she barged into his office all of the sudden with a greatsword in hand.

"My name is Modaka! And I'm alright." Madoka replied instinctively before informing her that he's alright.

He peek out from his table, eyeing the window for any signs of his attacker but found nothing there.

"What happened? I heard your window shatter so I thought it might be another attack." Iruta asked while placing her greatsword on her shoulder.

"I thought so too but seeing that we aren't fighting for our lives right now, I don't think it is." Modaka pointed out as he got up and frown at his drenched attire.

"Did you wet yourself?" Iruta teased with a giggle.

"No! This is just coffee!" Modaka replied with a red face.

"Hmmm. Well, I think it is an attack. I mean, you were shot with an arrow after all." Iruta said, pointing at said arrow embedded into the wall and drawing Madoka's atttention to it.

"Then why isn't there a follow up?" He asked while moving over to the arrow to pull it out.

"Who knows? Maybe they're trying to draw us out into a trap?" Iruta suggested and they began to hear more commotion coming from the building. Looks like everyone is aware that something is happening and is waking up from their sleep.

"Or...it could be someone sending us a message." Madoka said, showing Iruta the arrow and she saw that it had a piece of parchment tied onto it.

"Huh, weird way to send a message. Do you think it's a love letter Nantoka?"

"It's Madoka. Also, this is a rather excessive way to send a love letter don't you think?" He said while removing the parchment from the arrow.

"She could be shy." Iruta suggested with a shrug while Madoka began reading what's written on it. "Well, is it or is it not?" Iruta asked impatiently after a moment had passed and Shakti chose this moment to pop up from the entrance.

"Alright, what happened? Was anyone hurt?" She asked as she entered the room.

"Ah, Captain. Good timing." Madoka greeted her with a wide grin on his face. "It would seem that our days of fruitlessly searching for clues might just come to an end."

**-0-**

I dismiss Naaza's bow after firing it, feeling rather glad that she decided to let me carry it for her on our way back home from the Dungeon. I also felt a bit bad that I accidentally struck so close to that guy's face because my aim was a bit off. But since he's alright, I guess everything's fine. Shame about his mug though, but he was probably drinking coffee anyway so no loss there.

I was standing far away from the building, perched on top of a good sniping spot that I've found. I spent a few moments watching the happenings in the office, waiting to see if they would discover the message on the arrow or not. When it look like they finally found it, I took my leave.

On the message I've written that I have very incriminating evidence that the Bruno Trading Company have been up to no good along with proof of their past dealings with Evilus. And I've left them all by their doorstep, all wrapped up and tied with a ribbon.

They might believe the note or they might not but they can't really deny it once they open their door and see the package outside. Who knows, maybe they can find out more about Evilus at their headquarters. There was certainly a few heavily guarded rooms that I haven't checked yet due to time constrains.

With my job done, I decide to head back to the pub to see how it's going there. If the fight is over then I'll help clean up, if not then I'll just stay far away and watch.

**-0-**

**The next day**

**Orario- Hostess of Fertility**

**-0-**

"How is it even possible to deal this much damage to the building when they're fighting outside?" I asked no one in particular as I got to fixing the roof of the pub.

The fight was already when I got there and all I found there was Mama Mia giving four girls a stern scolding while surrounding by dozens of unconscious free loot.

It looks like at some point of the fight, things got really destructive when Black Fist, or rather, Lunoire Faust as she is known as, joined the fray. It didn't help that Ryuu used the pepper bomb on her and she started punching randomly instead and cause more structural damage in the process.

Because of that, Mia blame me for making something like that and made me help out in fixing the building.

Oh well, at least it wasn't all bad as I got lots free stuff from last night. There were plenty of weapons and armor left behind as spoils of war and I greedily collected them all before disposing of the bodies. They're probably waking up all confused right about now and wondering why they're all sleeping naked in the streets and in compromising positions.

A loud burst of someone arguing caught my attention and I stopped hammering a plank to block the hole in the roof to look down to the courtyard. There I spot said four girls in the middle of what I like to call, a female bonding session. There's Ryuu, Anya, Lunoire and Chole, probably blaming each other for their misfortune. Lunoire and Chole are both wearing the pub's signature uniform right now, meaning that they've both been conscripted into the Waitress Coalition. In true Mia Grand fashion, she immediately took the two killers in and turned them into maids in order to pay back the damage they had dealt to her pub.

In all honesty, it looked like they are having fun right now.

I also spotted May bringing them drinks. The girls thanked her for it and went back to arguing while working. May started heading back but stop for a bit and look up towards where I am.

I met her eyes and gave a small wave. Instead of waving back, she's quickly made herself scarce and ran back inside. Even from up high, I could see that May's face redden when our eyes met which is very odd. Maybe she was able to remember what happened last night and is feeling embarrassed about it.

I smiled to myself and chuckled as I went back to work. Heh, who doesn't like happy endings.

**-0-**

**And that's it folks. Thanks for reading and do tell me what you think. Do feel free to tell me what you liked or disliked about the story as your opinions are always welcomed. I won't be able to improve otherwise. Just don't tell me to improve my grammar of course since I utter fail in that regard with no hope of ever improving. XD**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: After reading through the last chapter again, I find myself agreeing that the part with a drunken May was not handled well at all. I added that part to show that Cain has hormones to deal with but I guess it was a bit too much and ended up too out of character for him. It's just suppose to be a brief moment where he realizes that he has reached that age again and is in no way suppose to convey his horniness towards a woman's body. In fact, he just felt a bit uncomfortable but that's just it.**

**Oh well, live and learn I guess. **

**-0-**

The day started off with a crash, literally.

**Crash**

"Hwah! I'm sorry!" Lunoire cried out in abject terror as the plates of food she was suppose to serve clatter onto the ground.

True to my expectations, Mia soon arrive on the scene with an annoyed look on her face. I could only shake my head sadly as I watch one of the new addition to the staff get an earful from an angry Mia, shivering piteously in place from the fear Mia had instill unto her when they first met.

"I keep telling that girl that it's too soon for newcomers to pull that off but she never listens. I swear it's like she gets off from getting people into trouble or something." I muttered as I went to collect the broom.

It's only been a few days since the two killers attacked this place and were forced to joined the it's ranks. Needless to say, this place had become a lot livelier since.

Anya had tried to make herself to be the reliable senpai as always and tried helping the two newcomers as much as she can. The results were... predictable. Syr was happy that everything turned out well. She was also glad about having more people around to help out since they were always getting swamped at the front due to the lack of waitresses. And Ryuu seem to be on cordial terms with them despite having attempted to kill each other a few days ago. I also noticed that there's a sense of camaraderie between them for being the new ones here.

As for Chloe and Lunoire….

"Uuuu….Just you wait. One day, I will escape from this place." I heard Lunoire vowed forlornly after Mia finished scolding her and had gotten far enough so that she couldn't hear.

Well, they're still getting into the hang of things but they'll get better-

"This is isn't what I ordered." I heard a customer complained while en route to the boom so I turn to look.

"I'm so sorry nya!" Chloe apologized to him, with her ears laying flat against her head, a clear sign of anxiousness or fear.

-Eventually anyway.

The customer looks like the kind that likes to complain and Chloe still haven't learned how to deal with those types yet.

I made eye contact with Syr who was nearby and nodded towards Chloe to signal that she needs help. I got a nod in return and she quickly went over to the cat girl's aid and possibly sweet talk the customer into buying more things in the process.

As for what I've been up to lately, I'm happy to announce that nothing has changed at all, for now. My life continue on as it always have: entering the Dungeon for routine monster extermination but with me going on the offensive more often so I could raise my stats faster as well.

I've also decided to slowly stop working at the pub seeing that they have enough workers now so I could focus on solving the problems that's been plaguing my Familia, mainly the debt. Solving Miach's tendencies to give out free stuffs and unintentionally seducing girls is a much lower priority.

The habit of giving things out is pretty much hard codded into his very being so there's not much we can do about that except to limit how much he gives. The other problem however, is a cause for concern. I've already lost count of the number of panties that we received in mail. Anyway, I always sort through the mail myself and burned them before letting my Familia know that we've got mail. But I fear that those thirsty thots might take things too far one day and try to jump our God.

Oh, and before I forget, it should be known that I immediately sold the weapons and armors that was graciously donated to me and got a lot of money for it. We could actually take it easy without fear of running out of money for a few months if we wanted to.

I did keep some of the weapons so I would have some options to choose from but I didn't save any of the armor. For starters, none of them fits us as they're meant for adults. Getting them fitted is too much of a hassle and costly as the armorer would need to trim off materials in order make it smaller for us. It was way easier to buy new ones.

I got Naaza some expensive new body armor with the money. With it being a high quality one and made out of some light metal, she'll be much safer and wouldn't have to sacrifice any of her speed in return.

I didn't get one for myself since I was too much of a cheapskate, much to my sister's displeasure. It's not like I'm not confident in my ability to block or dodge attacks so I'll be fine for now. I might see to getting some proper protection for myself some point down the line though.

I did get myself a bow instead though. Sadly, there's nothing special about it. It's just normal bow fit for my size that can be found in just about any run-of-the-mill weapon shop.

When asked by my Familia where I got so many spare armor and weapons from, I told them that a bunch of hooligans thought it would be a great idea to attack the Hostess of Fertility and these were theirs. Which was technically true.

Naaza just commented that they were stupid and I told her that it's not nice to say things about the mentally challenged. Other than that, they accepted my explanation easily enough.

"Cain." I heard my name being called as I finish cleaning up the mess Lunoire made.

"Yes Mama Mia?" I turn to the speaker with a raised eyebrow, wondering if she need me for something.

"We're running low on supplies again, can you tell Ryuu to follow Syr on a supply run?" She told me, looking as busy as always while she tend to the bar making drinks for the customers.

"Sure thing." I agreed, feeling a bit amused that our resident elf still isn't capable of doing shopping trips on her own yet. Or maybe she's there as a precaution to keep Syr out of trouble?

I took a look around the front of the shop but didn't see any signs of her so I went into the kitchen and try my luck there.

**-0-**

Once inside, I still couldn't see the familiar mop of green hair so I went to ask the nearest person if they had seen her. I found May just there in the middle of cutting up some vegetables to use for a dish and approached her.

"Hey, May-" Just as the words left my mouth, my instincts blared out in warning, telling me to dodge. I don't know what's happening but I followed it anyway and yank my head away from where it was.

"Nya!" May let out a frighten yelp when she heard my voice. In response, she spun around quickly and thrust the knife that she had been handling towards where my head had been. She moved so fast that I couldn't even see her move. Had I not listen to my instincts, I would've been impaled already.

"Cain-kun!" May gasped and drop her knife. "Oh no, are you alright? Were you hurt?" She fretted with panic and guilt in her eyes while running her hands over my face to check for any wounds.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." I told her repeatedly in order to get my words across her panicky state.

Once she was absolutely certain that she had not hurt me in any way, she let let out a large breath and let her hands down. Her shoulders sagged a bit as she place a hand over her chest as she look more relieved now. "Oh thank the Gods. Cain-kun, you really need to stop sneaking around like that. You were sneaky before but you were never this sneaky. One of these days you're going to get hurt because you startled one of us and no one wants that." She told me, her eyes still showing worry for my safety.

"It's not like I can help it. My skill made it so I'm really sneaky even when I don't want to be." I told her with a sigh.

While **[****Stealth****]** is a great skill and all, it does have it's drawback at times. Almost getting stabbed by a kitchen knife is a pretty good example of one of those draw backs. As you can guess, this isn't the first time this happened too.

I keep startling the staffs because from their point of view, I just suddenly pop up from nowhere and because of their circumstances, they tend to react very badly to jump scares.

"If that's the case, can't you just turn it off?" May suggested.

"You can turn skills off!?" I asked incredulously. That's news to me because from what I know about skills so far, it's that once you have it it's on forever unless there's a condition you need to fulfill in order to activate it.

"Well yeah, some skills can be turned on and off at will and some have active triggers to activate it, like saying the skill's name or a phrase like the one I have." May informed me. Huh, you know, with how harmless and docile May always is, it's easy to forget that she's actually a level 3.

"Wow really? I had no idea that was even a thing." I said, feeling a bit silly for not realizing it. It felt like it's something that I should've figured out long ago.

"Yep. Do you know if yours can be turned off or not?" May asked me.

I think back to the description of my skill before shaking my head. "No, I don't think so. There's nothing written on my skill that suggest that it could be turned on or off." I told her.

"Hmm..." May let out thoughtful hum while scratching her chin. "Some skills are like that. They won't really explain much so you need to figure out how to use it yourself. Maybe yours actually can be turned off but you need to figure out how."

"Huh, never thought off that. I'll give it a shot and see what happens." I said before closing my eyes.

A brief moment passed before I open them again and May tilt her head slightly with a questioning expression on her face. "Well, did you manage to get it to work?" She asked me curiously.

"Nah, I just realized that I have no idea what I should be doing." I admitted with a shrug.

May just giggled a bit. "Well, that's to be expected since it's your first time trying to turn off your skill. Do you remember what happened when you first got it? Maybe something happened when you first received your skill and recalling that time would help. Failing that then I guess you'll just have to keep trying to work things out, or that your skill really can't be turned off."

I think back to the first time I got my Falna updated, trying to find something that stood out in my memory. "Well, there was this feeling of having a blanket draped over me when I got my status updated for the first time. But I dismissed it as something that I should be feeling when getting my status updated. Oddly enough, it never did happen again for my subsequent updates."

May seem to perked up at that. "Oh neat. Can you still feel it now?"

I close my eyes again and tried focusing on that feeling that I've got back then. "Somewhat. I can tell that it's still there but I wasn't really conscious of it until I pay attention to it though."

"Great, now try turning it off."

"How? If I knew the way to do that I would've done it earlier."

May pause to think for a moment, her eyebrow furrowing together cutely as she think hard for a solution. Eventually, she got that look of realization on her face as she snap her fingers. "Oh I know! Since you described it as a blanket, can't you just imagine taking it off somehow?" She offered.

I thought about what she had said and found that she does have a point so I decided to give it a go. I start by imagining myself shrugging something off me.

"Did anything change?" I asked her, earning a shake of her head in return.

I frowned and tried again, this time focusing on the blanket feeling and with the intention of taking it off. To my surprise, I actually felt it sliding off me and with it gone, I felt weird.

"Oh!" May let out all of the sudden, sounding a bit surprised. "I don't know how to explain it but you seem more….noticeable now? I guess it worked?"

"So you're saying that I was never noticeable before? Wow, what a vote of confidence May." I deadpanned at her.

"That's not what I meant and you know it mister." She said while poking a finger at my chest with pout that soon turned into a smile. "So, do you feel any different?"

"Well, I do feel more vulnerable now for some reason." I said while rubbing the back of my neck as I finally managed to pinpoint the weird feeling that I had as unease.

"Hmmm. Well, you've had it up all this time so you're bound to be used to having it activated all the time." May hypothesized.

"Yeah...guess so." I agreed with her seeing that it's the most logical thing I could think off. "Thanks a lot May, now I don't have to worry about unintentionally scaring people." I thanked her, feeling grateful that she manage to solve the life and death problem that I had been dealing with for so long.

May look really happy after being thanked as though she's just glad that she could help me. That happy expression of hers soon turned into one of confusion as she regard me with a puzzled look. "Wait, did you turned it back on again?" She asked.

"Yep." I replied, feeling the sense of a blanket covering me again.

"But why?" She questioned.

"Well, I feel a lot safer with it on so I figured that I'll only turn it off when I want to get someone's attention without the risk of getting stabbed in return." I replied with a shrug.

May narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously before voicing her opinion. "You just like scaring people don't you?" She accused.

"Guilty." I admitted without any sense of guilt or shame whatsoever.

Whatever she wanted to say in return was interrupted when another crash rang out from outside the kitchen. "Munya! Why!? I was sure that I was holding them properly!" I heard Chloe cried out in fear.

May and I just let out a synchronized sigh as we heard Mama Mia make her way towards the terrified cat girl. ""Syr."" We both said to each other with deadpanned looks, both knowing just what, or rather, who the cause of our new hire's slip up is.

"You know, I'm getting flashbacks of when Ryuu was first starting out with those two." I said, feeling an odd sense of deja vu like I've said that particular sentence somewhere before.

"Agreed. That's why we always have a stockpile of extra plates." May nodded.

"Speaking of which, where is Ryuu? I need to tell her to go on a supply run with Syr." I asked May as I remembered just what I came in here for. Wow, discovering that skills can be toggled really made me forget about it for a moment. "And probably to stop Syr from getting those two into more trouble." I added.

"Ryuu? I did see her heading into the storage not long ago so maybe you can try there." May informed me.

"I see. Thanks May. I'll go see if I can find her there." I told her in appreciation.

"MAY! What's taking those vegetables so long!?" One of the staff shouted impatiently from the side.

"Uwah! We've been talking for too long! Oh no, Mama Mia is going to punish me for slacking off." May mewed piteous as her ears instantly flattened against her head as the thought of getting scolded by Mia ran through her mind. She didn't let her fear stop her from quickly chopping up the vegetables in front of her though.

I scratch my cheek sheepishly before deciding to let her work undisturbed so she doesn't get into any more trouble. "Well, I'll be on my way May, good luck." I told her before moving towards where the storage is.

**-0-**

The storage is located at the back of the pub, well out of the way of all the other facilities as it's only purpose is to store things that we only use once in a while or to stockpile things like extra furniture and utensils.

As I walk down the path towards it, I absentmindedly noted that there isn't anyone around this area. Not that it's weird since people only come down here to pick up things they need.

I reached the storeroom and entered it. "Lyon-san, are you in here? Mia wants you to-" I pause in my sentence when I saw not one, but two people in the room. One of them is Ryuu who had a deer in headlights look upon seeing me enter the room. The other however...is figure in black robe that looks way too skinny to be healthy.

"What?" Whoever they are, they sounded shocked and confused at my presence. Their voice is also very weird. It's kind of echoey, like there's multiple people speaking at once. I have no idea if it's natural or if it's some kind of spell to hide one's voice but it's pretty cool.

I didn't have time to wonder who this is for long because the figure was quick to raise their arm at me. My body reacted way faster than my mind at what it perceived to be a threatening action and I took action.

I swung my arm at him, summoning a throwing knife in the process and hurling it at the suspicious figure just as he or she was lifting up their arm towards me. Combat trance was slam into place moments after.

Before, I was unable to summon things while moving but that weakness had long since been conquered with lots of late night practice. However, I would still occasionally fail to summon things if something were to disrupt my concentration.

The dagger flew straight and true and I know for certain that it would hit my target long before they could do anything. But I didn't count on it being enough to deal with whoever this is. It would've been too easy otherwise. As the dagger was in the air, the mental image of the storeroom was loaded into my brain from memory and I began planning how I would even fight in such a small room.

True to my predictions, my dagger missed. Instead of hitting the body of the cloaked figure, it was repelled by some kind of invisible barrier. _Of course it can't be that easy. _I cursed.

The cloaked figure retaliated once their hand was fully raised and I saw some kind of green gas like substance coming out of their sleeve and it was coming towards me fast.

Instinctively, I held my breath and rolled away from the gas, summoning a short sword in the process to use in close confinement like this storeroom. There was no point in keeping my magic a secret now; my opponent is a complete unknown and I was unarmed.

_Too wide. _I thought as I couldn't get out of gas radius fast enough and it made contact with my body before I manage to get somewhere safe. I stop into a crouch and immediately notice that something is happening to me. I started to feel incredibly sleepy. Apparently, whatever it is still works even when you don't inhale it.

I could feel my body becoming light as my consciousness start to fade rapidly.

But then, I felt it. It was faint, but I think I felt something stirred within me, moving ever so slightly. I don't know if I'm mistaken or if it was caused by the gas but I think I can hear the telltale sound of chains shifting.

Then, anger came next. Memories of similar situations flash through my mind and my emotion came roaring with defiance, keeping my conscious anchored in the world. The emotion was sufficient in keeping me awake long enough to do what's needed. I was dropping to the floor but I managed to stopped myself by planting one hand on the ground and then stabbing my sword into my thigh. Blood spurt out from the wound and the pain shook my mind awake before I force the rest of the grogginess away with sheer force of will.

"Musashi-san!" I heard Ryuu call out my name in alarm when I stabbed myself. But I opted to ignore her as my mind was still busy processing data and coming up with what to do to really register her presence unless she gets involved. A part of my brain seem to have already made plans to fight Ryuu just in case she was being controlled by the hooded figure somehow.

When I look back up from the floor, the figure was gone.

Being the genre-savvy person that I am, I knew that whenever someone you're fighting vanished, it usually meant they had teleported or ran to your back when you weren't looking. With that in mind, I leap forward, pulling the sword out of my thigh in the process.

I could feel a presence appearing behind me as I move away from my last position but alas, my efforts was futile as the hooded figure was simply faster. I could feel a hand wrap around my neck as I was jumping away and I found myself being pushed towards the ground.

_Strong, fast. Definitely someone who's higher level than me. _The thought flash through my mind while I stop myself from being pinned down. I stab my sword into the ground for support and position my legs in a way that the most they can do is to push me into my knees if they tried. Anything is better than being pinned down on my stomach as that would be a death sentence for me if they succeeded. My methods of retaliating from that position is very limited and I don't fancy myself blowing myself up to avoid being captured.

They seem to realize what I'm going for and merely kept the pressure up to keep me from getting up.

"Please, calm down. I mean you no harm." I heard the figure speak, their echoey voice sounding very near my ear.

I gritted my teeth as I felt myself straining against the force they're exerting to keep my on my knees. The last guy who said that shot me pointblank with a shotgun so do forgive me if I don't particularly trust his their words right now.

My mind was churning to find a way to get out of the figure's hold. I haven't replenish my stuff yet so I don't have any bombs to throw. I have no leverage in this position and there's no way I can reach behind me to hit him with any meaningful force. Unless….

I quickly ran the numbers and concluded that my idea could work as I could feel their body close to mine. With a plan in mind, I let go of my sword and summon a spear with my other hand. With both hands, I use it to stab through my stomach with all my strength, aiming it in such a way where it would miss my vital organs and hit the guy behind me.

Sharp pain bloomed on my abdomen as I felt the spear's tip pierce through my flesh and through my body. It was followed by the feeling of the wooden shaft moving through me before the tip exit from my back and meeting it's intended target.

"Guh!" I heard the figure let out as well as the sound of Ryuu gasping in shock at what I had done before I felt myself being let go.

Not wasting any time, I pounce forward into the room to create distance between us, dismissing the spear in my stomach as I did so. I landed roughly on my knees before spinning around to face the hooded figure as I stood up. I could see that they're gathering their bearings after being unexpectedly stabbed so I quickly summon a potion into my hand and smash the vial against the hole in my stomach.

Potions can be used in two ways, it can be consumed or it can be applied directly. Taking the cork off and drinking it would take too long so I opted to use the faster method. I can feel the broken glass cutting into my flesh but at the same time, I could feel the potion doing it's job and mending my wound and pushing the glass out of my body. It won't be long before the only hole left would be the one on my shirt.

I summoned another sword and prepared myself to go on the offensive, ready to utilize the Deadlock Protocol if needed. If I'm going to die on this day then I'll do everything I can to take that bastard with me.

Before I could jump forwards to attack, I felt a slender hand placing itself on my shoulder and held me back.

"Musashi-san, please stop. He's not an enemy." The words entered my ears.

My head turn to the source of the voice and I saw Ryuu looking at me with visible concern. With us being so close, I didn't miss how she flinched slightly when my eyes locked on into hers. It took a moment before her words finally registered and I slowly look back at the figure who hasn't moved at all. In fact, they had risen their hands in the air in a placating manner as a show of non-violence.

My eyes dart back to Ryuu, questions running amok my mind. _Can I trust her? How do I know that she's not being controlled somehow? The hooded figure seems like a mage so the possibility is there. __But why haven't they disposed of me if that's the case? It's clear as day that I'm utterly outmatched here and the figure could've killed me easily back when they held onto my neck. Maybe I'm wrong? Maybe the suspicious person really isn't the enemy. __It could me who had jumped into conclusions as I was the one who acted __when I saw them raising their hand towards me._

I let out a small growl involuntarily as frustration wells up in me, making Ryuu's look of concern grow. Too many questions and not enough information to answer them.

When faced with unknowns, the only thing I can do is to listen to my instincts and it's telling me to trust in Ryuu.

With my decision made, I let out a long sigh as I let the tension in my body face and combat trance shut itself off. I dismiss my sword back into my storage and stood up straight, eyeing the figure with a distrustful stare. My mind automatically reviewed the fight for analysis, gathering data from the fight and adapting itself for future conflicts. Bloody hell, the entire fight didn't even last 15 seconds.

Seeing that I wasn't going to pointlessly throw my life away at a vastly superior foe, Ryuu let her hand go. "Explanation, now." I said while looking at Ryuu.

"I believe I can provide one." The hooded figure spoke, drawing my attention to him or her or whatever. "First off, let me start with an apology. It was not my intent to hurt you nor to escalate things but I did what I needed to subdue you when you started attacking me." They said in a calm and collected manner while bowing slightly.

Oh jeez, way to make me sound like an asshole. Oh wait, I am an asshole. Just selectively. I scratch the back of my head as I try to discern whether or not they're telling the truth, but being unable to see their expression as well as their weird voice made it hard. "Apology accepted I guess. Though in my defense, I saw a suspicious person in a place that they're not suppose to be, whose intention is completely unknown while quite possibly doing something to Lyon-san. You suddenly raising your arm towards me only made me more defensive. If you don't want people to attack you when they see you, you shouldn't have dressed so suspiciously in the first place." I replied, still not really trusting the obviously shady person.

"Yes, I am aware of that. Gale Wind almost did the same when I appeared before her. But there is a reason for why I dress this way so I hope you can overlook that." The stranger said.

"Eh, I've overlooked weirder things." I said with a nonchalant shrug. "So, about that explanation?" I prompted.

"Yes. To start, I appear before Gale to make a deal with her." The stranger told me.

"What kind? The blackmail kind or the kind were both are benefited from it?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at them.

"The latter of course. All I wanted was for her to keep silent about a certain incident that happened in the Dungeon and in return, we'll continue to keep her survival a secret from the public." The stranger explained.

I click my tongue in annoyance. So by 'we', I assume they meant there are more members of whatever group they're affiliated with. It seems that they have some connections to the Guild as well. Question is, are they part of it, a partner whom the Guild can call upon, or are they actually controlling it from behind the scene? At least we now know that the Guild is at least aware that Ryuu is still alive and is in hiding.

"May I ask what incident you're referring to?" I asked instead, knowing that they'd never tell me the real answer to the other question.

"That would defeat the purpose of our deal." They pointed out.

"True enough." I nodded in agreement before sighing. "I suppose that it's my bad for acting without gathering the facts first. So, sorry for that I guess." I said with an apologetic shrug of my shoulders. "You're _clearly _just trying to help and not trying to further some agenda." I added with a roll of my eyes, sarcasm dripping from my words.

"Hrmp. Rude. But I suppose I can't blame you for being so distrustful of me. Now, let's talk about what to do about you." At their word, Ryuu seem to be more tensed and looked like she wanted to do something to protect me.

"Oh, you misunderstood my meaning Gale. I have no intention of doing anything untoward towards your friend so please, calm down." The stranger told Ryuu before turning to me. "You weren't supposed to be here and discover this meeting so I'm in a bit of a bind you see. I don't suppose you can keep silent on what you had just learned?" The stranger asked me politely.

"Sure." I agreed.

"Oh?" The stranger seemed rather surprised by my answer. "That was rather quick. Usually people would ask for something in return for their silence."

"Look, I have no interest in making enemies that I know I can't deal with and you look like the sort that can ruin someone's life with a snap of a finger if you so wanted. So let's all pretend that I never walked in here and I'll promise to keep your visit a secret." I replied.

"Very well. I can sense the honesty in your words. But, if you even think of speaking of what happened-" The stranger spoke but was rudely interrupted.

"Save your threats." I cut him off with an annoyed huff. "They only work when the person you're threatening actually cares what happens to them." It also doesn't help that I've already heard them all before. They can be so repetitive you know.

The stranger didn't speak but I can tell that they're looking at me despite their face being shrouded in that hood of theirs. "Well, I must say this has been a very interesting experience. As I have already accomplished what I came here to do, I believe it's time to take my leave." The stranger spoke.

"Question." I shot out before they could disappear, wondering if they would tell me the truth or not.

"Hmm. I suppose I shall allow one." The stranger agreed.

"Is the reason why you cover yourself completely because you're literally a skeleton?" I asked, earning a baffled gaze from Ryuu.

The stranger seem to jerk in surprise before giving me a scrutinizing look. At least, I assume it's a scrutinizing look since I really can't see shit. "How did you know?" The now confirmed skeleton asked, seemingly shocking Ryuu with the reveal. Me on the other hand, I'm just annoyed to find out that undead exist in this world.

"There are three things that give it away." I replied while holding out three fingers. "Well, three things aside from the fact that you've basically just confirmed it for me. The first thing was how you looked. You're just too skinny to be normal. Then there was when you grabbed my neck, I could feel that there was no meat or skin on your fingers. The other was when I stabbed you through myself, there wasn't any resistance one would typically get when stabbing through flesh. The only thing I felt was hitting bones so it got me curious." I list off my reasoning.

The skeleton lift up it's hand and pull back it's sleeve, revealing a bony appendage. It looked like it was considering something as it look at it's hand. Probably thinking of buying a gauntlet or something to hide it. "Hmm, I never had to deal with anyone physically before but I suppose there are situations that are beyond my control. I shall take what you've said into consideration. You are an interesting Human, I hope you know that I'll be keeping an eye on you from now on." It said ominously as it slowly vanishes from my sight.

"Oh joy. Just don't spy on me when I'm using the bathroom." I deadpanned, feeling a wave of annoyance and paranoia washing through me from it's parting words. Jeez, even in another world I can't seem to escape the attention of shadowy organizations.

Once the skeleton is gone completely, I finally allow my body to relax and collapse on my ass to rest a bit. Sheesh, fighting against someone way stronger than me is definitely not good for my health.

Ryuu immediately kneel down next to me to checking on me."Are you alright Musashi-san? How are your wounds?" Ryuu asked, the concern she felt was evident in her voice.

I pat around my stomach and back to check for holes but found none and the wound on my leg was also gone. A part of my mind was glad that Wade isn't here. He'd probably make a sex joke about me being penetrated or something if he ever finds out what I did here. "I'm fine. Might be extremely paranoid for a few days though." I replied, focusing on my magic to swap my bloodied and damaged outfit for a fresh one. Convenient magic is convenient.

If Ryuu was surprised by my sudden change of clothes, she didn't show it. "That was completely reckless of you. Why would you even do something as insane as stabbing yourself to get to your opponent?" For some reason, I have a feeling that she's mad at me.

"What do you mean? It's the most optimal way to get to him. I can't turn around nor can I hit him when swinging my arms backwards. Stabbing at him through me is the most logical thing to do." I replied, puzzled at why she seem so cross with me.

"That's not what I-" She paused after seeing my confused look and then sigh slightly. "I apologize for getting you involve in this." She said instead, looking genuine downhearted at what had happened.

"Don't be. It's my fault for always walking into places without knocking so I'm just getting what I deserve." I wave her apology off.

"If I may ask, why would you attack all of the sudden?" She asked me with a visible frown on her face. "It was a foolish action to take when you don't know anything about your opponent and you don't strike me as someone who doesn't think before they act."

"I said it before didn't I? I saw a suspicious person who could be doing who knows what here and he acted first. It didn't help when they suddenly try to put me to sleep either. I don't like getting drugged and I had completely register that guy as an enemy after they did." I muttered in discontent. Skeletor's sleeping gas had actually done a lot more than put me to sleep. It had dragged out unwanted memories from the times where I was put under by supposed allies and enemies. Nothing good ever comes after that. "It might be dumb for me to attack without knowing more first but those who make the first move usually wins right? That guy might've been an enemy who wanted to hurt us."

"And seeing that I wasn't doing anything didn't tip you off that they might not be hostile?" Ryuu asked.

"Well, you know what they say about hindsight." I replied with a shrug before pushing myself up from the floor and Ryuu followed suit. "Still, I'm surprised to learn that the dead can actually move around. Is necromancy a thing that exist?" I asked her, hoping that she would have an answer for me while walking towards the door.

"I don't know. This is the first time I've even heard of a living skeleton." She replied while following me. I could tell that she doesn't know what to think about that.

"Ah well, no point in thinking too much about it. If the undead is real then it's real. Worrying won't changing anything." I said with a nonchalant shrug. "Oh yeah, Mama Mia wanted me to tell you to do a supply run with Syr." I told her, getting to why I even came here in the first place. "And do you mind telling Mama Mia that I'll be leaving work early for today?"

Ryuu look at me curiously. "Where are you going?"

"I need to buy some curtains."

**-0-**

**Orario- Daedalus Street**

**-0-**

After buying what I need, curtains included, I immediately went to someone whom I know might have answers for me regarding Skeletor. While he, she or it may have said they won't cause us any harm, I'd rather not take their words at face value. So the more I learn about them the better.

I soon reached the area where the old man is and approach to give him a nudge with my feet. "Hey old man, you still kicking? I asked as I made contact with him.

"Wuah! Who goes th- Oh, it's just you. I keep telling you to wake me up like a normal person god damn it!" He replied crankily.

"I would but I'd rather not get too close to you. My nose might sue me for abuse if I did." I told him with a roll of my eyes while tossing him a bottle of wine.

He reach out and grab it, popping the bottle open and taking a swig all in one smooth motion. "Ah~" He let out in satisfaction before setting the bottle down. "Thanks for the free drink as always boy. Oh, and did you know that because of your actions a few nights ago, a very distinguished casino was closed down for investigation and it's owner arrested?" he told me with a large grin on his face, showing his very badly maintained teeth.

"Wait, what?" I replied in genuine surprise, not really expecting something like that to happen at all. "How did that even happen?"

"They had found evidence of human trafficking. Apparently, one of the many evidence that Ganesha Familia found contained a transcript of a purchase being made as well as the letters to proof it. Congratulations, you've just saved a lot of innocent women from a bleak future as well as future women's virtue without even knowing about it." He informed me with a laugh.

I absorb the information with a bemused expression. I have no idea why they would even keep such damnable evidence around but then again, those two wannabe villains weren't exactly the smartest people around. "How did you even know all that? Moreover, how did you know what I did in the first place?" I asked him. I'm pretty sure that there wasn't any beggars around to see what I've done.

"I have my eyes and ears everywhere." He replied mysteriously before cackling like a mad man like he's laughing at some kind of inside joke. "At any rate, you can consider the price for our deal to be paid with that show."

"Really? Not to look at the gift horse in the mouth or anything but it just seemed kinda random." I pointed out.

"Would you rather pay me with real money instead?" He questioned with a greedy stare.

"NopeI'mgoodlet'snotmentioneiteveragain!" I quickly blurt out before slamming my mouth shut, hoping that he doesn't actually make me pay with money. He just laugh at my response for a short while.

Once he was done, he sat back against the wall and look towards me with a raised eyebrow "So what do you need this time? I imagine that this isn't a casual visit now is it? You wouldn't be so tense otherwise." He said.

"Right, what do you know about an animated skeleton, specifically one that likes to shoot sleeping gas from her hands." I asked him, getting straight to the point.

"Oh? Why do you assume that it's a her?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

"It's my general rule to assume any hooded figure with an ambiguous figure to be a woman unless proven otherwise. They get pissy for some reason when they found out you've thought of them as a dude all the time. Probably mad at the fact that they don't have the figure be to seen as a woman or something." I said before muttering the last sentence to myself.

"Speaking from experience?" The old man asked with an amused smirk.

"Unfortunately, yes." I hang my head with a despondent sigh.

"Heh. The animated skeleton that you've mentioned is probably Fels." He replied with a snort.

"Oh neat. Unless there any other living skeletons I need to worry about of course." I replied.

"No, Fels is the only living Skeleton to exist in this world so you can rest easy on that. There will never be another unless Fels decides to recreate what happened all those years ago that caused her to be a skeleton in the first place."

Feeling a sense of relief that I don't have an undead army to worry about, I smiled slightly before getting to the reason why I'm here. "Great, then what do you know about him, her, it or whatever they want to identify themselves as. Because they said they would be keeping an eye on me and I do not like having a voyeur around so I want ways to deal with them if possible." I replied with my annoyance about the situation on full display.

He chuckled a bit at my words before gesturing for me to calm down. "Well, first off, Fels was a woman so you were right about that."

"I fucking knew it." I muttered.

"But before I tell you more about her, I need you to tell me something. What do you know about Ouranos?"

"Ouranos? As in, the father of Orario, Ouranos? Now that's a name I never thought that would be brought up. Why though?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Humor me. It's so I don't waste your time explaining the things you already knew."

Seeing that there's no harm in that, I began listing off what I knew about that God. "Let's see, Ouranos is one of the first batch of deities to descend into the lower world. He is also the creator of the Falna system and the founder of the Guild. He is also acting as the moderator for other Gods and Godesses to keep them from going too wild. Then he seemingly vanished into obscurity after establishing a foundation for Orario and it's said that only a few deities know where he is."

"Oh, you sure do know your stuff. Most people only knew that he was responsible for the creation of Orario and nothing else. Hell, some don't even know he exists." The old man said, clearly impressed with what I know.

"Most of what I know is from the library though." I replied with a shrug. "Since you mentioned Ouranos, I'm guessing Fels have something to do with him?"

The old man confirmed my suspicion with a nod. "Indeed. Fels is working under Ouranos and has been his most loyal companion for at least 700 years. The other 100 years of her life was spent roaming the world and learning what she could about it."

_So she's 800 years old? Damn, she's ancient._ I thought to myself with a frown. If she's been around that long then their power base must be massive. I wanted to ask just how the old man even knew something from so long ago but I don't think he would tell me the secret to his knowledge. "So what does she want? Why is she going around being all mysterious and telling people to keep quiet about the things they discovered? Just what is their endgame?" I asked instead.

"That's simple. Their goal is the preservation of Orario. Everything they do, it's to keep Orario safe from the evils that plague this world. If Fels actually made an appearance to warn someone not to spread information about something, then it's most likely to keep panic from spreading. The world just isn't ready for it yet. With the world as it is now, I have no doubt that Evilus remnants would make use of the information that Fels told Gale to keep quiet about."

"So you know what incident Fels was referring to?"

"Yes, but I'm not telling." The old man replied with a smirk. "You don't need to fear her boy. She may be a manipulative cunt but she won't do anything to you or yours so long as you aren't trying to destroy Orario."

So her group is dedicated in keeping Orario in one piece huh. Well I guess it does make things better but not by a whole lot. I just hope she'll lose interest in me soon after so I don't have to worry about being stalked or something. I let out a sigh after soaking in what I've learned here. "Alright. I got what I needed. So what do I owe you?" I asked him, silently dreading what mountainous sum of money he might ask from me.

"I need you to do a favor for me. Do it and we'll call it even."

I felt a bit relieved that he didn't want money from me but I just can't help but wonder why he's only asking me to do favors. Asking him why might cause him to change his mind so it's best if I don't. "Fine, tell me what you need done. But I reserve the right to refuse if it's something I find distasteful." I told him. I may owe him but there are just some things I won't do for people.

He spoke and I listened, my expression turning dubious after hearing what he wanted me to do.

"That's….a very odd yet specific request. Sure, I can do that I guess. Are you sure that's all you want me to do?" I asked, sounding very uncertain.

"Oh yes." He nodded confidently. "What happens after is entirely up to you. Now get going, the clock is ticking." He shooed me away with his hand.

I started walking off, scratching the back of my head while feeling confused and a bit concern about just what I am getting myself into.

**-0-**

The old beggar watch silently as the boy left, keeping his eye on him as he walk out into the crowd and seemingly vanish into it. He slowly turn back to face the wall in front of him and close his eyes.

"And so, the die is cast once more." he murmured an amused smile. He could feel himself getting impatient already even though it's still a while before anything would happen. Just what will the boy do once he reached his destination? Just what kind of change would his presence bring? Oh, the suspense and anticipation. It's such a torture not knowing but yet life has never been so exciting, especially when you don't know what's going to happen in the future.

But first things first, he needs to greet his other guest. They have been waiting for their turn for a while now and it wouldn't do to keep them waiting.

"You can come out now." The old man said out loud to the empty alley. To anyone who may be looking, he would look like a crazy person talking to himself. Not that he cares.

And as he had predicted, a shroud of smoke appeared before him moments after he had spoken and a skeletal figure wrapped in a black shroud walks out of it.

"Oh, hello Fels. We were just talking about you." The old man greeted the skeleton as she walk up to him.

"I know, I heard. It came as a surprise to me to see that you two knew each other already and it got me very curious. It's not every day a child would get to know Orario's greatest and most elusive information broker. I dare say you two even seem like good friends."

"Oh my. Spying on my dealings with my other customers now are we? That's quite a rude thing to do. I see that you've gotten yourself a gauntlet as well. Not a bad looking one if I were to be honest." The old man said with a chuckle.

Fels look at the white gauntlet on her hands that she had acquired just now before looking back at the old man. "I see that you're still pretending to be a beggar. I'll never understand why someone of your station would lower yourself to this willingly, Heimdallr-sama."

Unbeknownst to Cain, the funny smelling old man that he had been buddy-buddy with all this time was none other than Heimdallr, the Norse God of vigilance. One of the few Gods on the lower world who can suppress their divinity completely to the point where no one can tell that they're deities.

"Well, someone has to keep these poor people fed and taken care of. Now I'm sure that you didn't come here for a social call. So tell me, what do you need this time? Where a certain person of interest is located? The latest news regarding our favorite group of wannabe villains? Where to buy the best quality skin lotion?" Heimdallr joked with a grin.

Instead of getting offended by what the old man is saying, Fels simply went straight to business. "What can you tell me about that boy you were talking to?"

"Ah, as serious as always. I see that the boy had caught your interest. Care to tell me why? Don't you think it's a bit excessive to come to me just so you can learn more about a child?" He asked curiously.

"You already know." Fels stated simply.

"No, I don't. That's why I'm asking." He replied genuinely.

Fels regarded the God for a bit, wondering if he's telling the truth or just messing with her before replying. "He somehow managed to completely ignore the barrier that I've set up to keep people away. He also managed to deduce that I wasn't human easily and he didn't seem all that surprised to find out about it too."

"Ah, so you slipped up." Heimdallr said with an almost smug look.

"I did not." Fels replied sharply. "He was simply something that I didn't account for."

"Same thing really, but don't beat yourself up over it. I have a feeling that after that, you decided to keep an eye on him to see just what kind of person he is yes?" Heimdallr guessed.

"Yes. But I encountered a problem there."

"Let me guess, that scrying orb of yours doesn't work on him." Heimdallr said with a thoughtful hum.

"…Somehow, he doesn't show up on the orb at all and nor was I able to find him using other means such as spells and artifacts. The only way to keep track of him is to look at him physically. It would be all too easy for him to simply vanish and do what he wants. It made me wonder whether or not he could be a threat in the future. So to that end, I came to you for answers. What can you tell me about him? I'll pay you for the information of course."

Rather than telling her the price for the information and then giving it to her like he had always done, this time Heimdallr merely shook his head sadly, causing Fels to be confused. "I'm sorry Fels but I don't have anything useful to give you." He told her and she visibly jerked back in shock.

"Impossible." Fels utter out, completely unable to believe what she had just heard. Not that he blame her; after all, he failed to provide an answer for the first time since he could remember.

"It's the truth. I don't know anything about the brat other than what other people say about him. No one really knows what kind of person he is and opinions of him may vary drastically depending on who you ask. They'll either say he's a normal boy or that he's a weird kid." He replied.

"But can't you just look into him yourself?" Fels questioned.

"I can't see him." He simply told her.

"Preposterous." Fels replied with a scoff, most likely because she thinks he's bullshitting her. "Your clairvoyance was known to be able to reach all corners of the world. It was so powerful that you could even see into time itself. Even with your Arcanum sealed as it is, you are still be able to see far and observe the past and future in a limited capacity. You've said so yourself."

"Indeed I have." The old man let out a hum as he thought about his present circumstances.

Quite frankly, taking the role of the Beggar King was not something he had in mind when he first descended into the lower world but it suits his particular set of skills just fine so he just rolls with it.

Of course, by coming down here, he subjugated himself to the same rules all the other Gods had and had his Arcanum sealed away. But sadly, it just wasn't enough for others. Jealous and paranoid that he's quickly climbing the ranks to be the strongest Familia, the other deities accused him of using his clairvoyance to cheat and gain an upper hand against all of them.

You see, unlike his Arcanum, his clairvoyance is something he was born with so sealing away his Arcanum did nothing to affect his sight. Freya has an innate ability too, but she only got away with it because she has a pair of tits that people are too busy staring at to really care about it. Talk about unfair.

Frankly, he was tired of their bullshit. He didn't even care about being the strongest Familia as all he wanted to do was to enjoy his time on the lower world and observe the marvels the children can create with their ingenuity.

Knowing that the other deities might all gang up and get rid of him due to their paranoia, he called for a denatus and discussed with them what to do about it in order to quell their fears. It didn't surprise him that they all called for the removal of his clairvoyance.

But to take it away completely would be to blind him and some thought that would be too cruel. In the end, they settle with placing some restrictions on his clairvoyance to limited what he could see. It's range was severely diminished and his ability to see through time was limited to a few years only.

With that done, he went and scattered his Familia all over the world to cover for the places he can no longer see, effectively becoming his eyes and ears in those areas. While his network is not as great as Hermes' outside of Orario, he is unrivaled when it comes to knowing the happenings within it's walls as it's within his range.

There's actually a funny tale on how he became the Beggar King afterwards but that's a story for another time.

"That's the thing, I can't. So trust me when I say I know how you feel about that orb of yours." The old man told Fels with a bit of amusement, remembering the absolute confusion and panic he felt when he first discover the boy's existence. "My clairvoyance just can't see him at all. The only way I'd know where he is when I see someone talking to thin air."

Fels' entire posture seem to radiate concern and worry upon learning that. "This is more concerning than I originally thought it would be." She muttered thoughtfully. "What about observing him through time? She asked.

"That's trickier." Heimdallr said as he scratch his scruffy beard. "The past is the only place where he'll appear in my vision but that's only because it has already happened. And as for the possible futures? Well, I can look into them just fine so long as he isn't at the area I'm looking at. Things tend to get a bit... odd whenever he's present. It's like trying to look into a kaleidoscope and trying to make sense of what you're seeing." Heimdallr explained.

"Had he done something to make himself this way?" Fels asked, worrying that other people could make themselves unobservable to even a God's power like the boy.

"Short answer is no. He's been like that ever since he was born." Heimdallr told her. He had immediately delve into the past to see who the boy is after learning that he could only be seen there and what he learned only serve to confuse him more.

He is simply an anomaly that shouldn't exist.

If you ask him for his opinion on the boy then he's among the many who thinks that he's a weird kid. In fact, all his close ones think of him that way but they don't care and love him nonetheless.

"But that's not what you came here to find out isn't it?" Heimdallr said, leaning forward to give Fels a knowing looking. "You want to know whether or not the boy will be a threat to Orario, yes?"

"Indeed. That is the most important thing right now." Fels said solemnly.

Heimdallr nodded before leaning back against his wall. "Well, as he is now, no. He doesn't have any reason to hinder you nor to destroy this city. Any level 3 can easily kill him if they wanted to." Heimdallr told her, thinking to the many futures he had seen that involves Fels trying to get rid of the boy. He hope to change that with their conversation now. It would be too much of a waste to let the boy die because Fels thinks he's too dangerous to be left alive on the off chance of him becoming evil.

His answer calmed her down somewhat but she noticed something about what he had said. "You said level 3's. Does that mean level 2's aren't sufficient enough to kill him?"

That question brought a proud smile to Heimdallr's face. "Heh. some might be able to and others might not. It's all depends on the variables during the time that they attacked him. Just know that anyone that tries will be given a hard time. Those that actually succeeded will be permanently crippled in return. That's the extent of his limitations as he is right now sadly." Heimdallr said with a sad shake of his head, feeling a slight sense of despondency at the loss of potential that was never achieved in those futures. Just because he can't see him doesn't mean he can't see the things he had done to deduce what he had been up to in the future.

"But worry not Fels, so long as you don't do anything to him or to anyone close to him, he will never be a threat. In fact, I have a suggestion for you. Why not hire him to help you out? He's more likely to help you keep Orario safe than go against you seeing that the people he cares about are also living here." Heimdallr offered with amusement shinning those pale eyes of his.

Fels regarded the God with an analytic gaze. "You don't normally suggest people unless their skills are truly invaluable. Will the boy be that much of asset?"

"You'll just have to see for yourself." Heimdallr said cryptically.

"Hmph...it's still too early to say. I will see how he is first before I make my decision." Fels concluded, her mind already thinking about the possibility of using the boy to further their goals.

"So, is there anything else you need? Just remember that spying on other Gods is not something I can do. You know of the restrictions placed on my sight." Heimdallr huffed in annoyance. Yes, one of those restrictions also includes being unable to observe what the other gods are doing. It's a completely different experience from the boy's as his sight was just blocked when looking at a God's direction.

"There is one other thing that I'm curious about…. how did you two met?" Fels asked the God.

"Completely unexpectedly of course." Heimdallr said with a nostalgic smile.

Their first meeting had been a short but fun adventurer for the old god. One where he found out just who had been confounding his ability to see into the future properly for years and it led to him getting his first taste of how the boy's presence affects the future directly.

There was a man who was supposed to keep running free despite his sins and would eventually joined Evilus to cause misery for a lot of people. But yet, he was stopped dead in his tracks before he could even start anything.

Best of all, after today, that bastard would finally be put down for good.

Thinking back to then now, it's amazing to see how the boy manged to change so much in these few years he had known him. From a cold, unfeeling machine to someone who is able to express genuine emotions. These children sure are filled with surprises. He suppose those girls of his are good for him in that regard.

"But it's not a story that I would tell even if you did offer me something. It's a little something I'd like to keep for myself you see." Heimdallr grinned.

"Very well. Then I suppose this concludes our business. How much do I owe you?" Fels questioned.

"1 million Valis." Heimdallr smirked.

"As expensive as always. Very well, I shall deliver the payment in the usual method." Fels said before preparing to leave.

"Fels." The God's voice reached her, the tone of it froze her in the spot literally. It carried more weight and authority then she had ever heard him spoke with before. It serves to remind her that even though he acts like a fool most of the time, he is still a God underneath all that act.

Fels gave Heimdallr her full attention and saw him looking uncharacteristic solemn for once. "Don't ever harm or threaten the ones he cares about. That is the only warning I will give you." The tone of his voice was enough to convey how serious he was.

"I... shall keep that in mind. Farewell Heimdallr-sama." Fels said with a respectful bow before she vanished from his sight.

Heimdallr let his demeanor drop and let out a sigh. This was the most he could do for now so he could only hope it would be enough.

He neglected to inform Fels that if she had given the boy a few years as well as sufficient motivation to hate her, she'll be watching those 700 years of hard work go down the drain. No one is as bold and dangerous as those with nothing left to lose, and no one personifies that phrase as perfectly as the boy did.

He felt sorry of omitting information from Fels but some things are best left unsaid. She would immediately kill the kid otherwise, thinking that it's too risky to let him live. He would do more good alive than dead but he's not sure if she would see that yet.

But damn if the kid didn't put up a fierce fight during those futures. A third of Orario actually got burned down during his last stand and he managed to cause the powerful Familias in Orario to go to war with each other as a final fuck you to Fels.

"Well then, let's see what impact our friend would've made with that task of his, shall we?" Heimdallr muttered before using his ability to peer into the future.

Using his ability is always hard when it comes to the boy. He'll need some time and a lot of concentration to even make sense of what he's seeing. Heimdallr went really quiet afterwards, the only way to tell that he's still alive is by the raising and falling of his chest.

A long stretch of silence passed and then, all of the sudden, he burst out laughing.

He laughed and laughed until tears started falling from his eyes as he held onto his stomach. If anyone saw him they would've ran away thinking he was a crazy person. For a while the empty alleyway was filled with an old man's laughter before it finally dies off.

"Ha...ha….haaa….Oh, this is what I like about that boy. He just keeps making things more interesting even without meaning to." Heimdallr said with a bright smile on his face. Yes, this is exactly why he like sending him off to do errands at places. He quite like not knowing the future about certain things or just changing things that had a bleak outcome and the boy is the perfect person to do that for him.

Fate has no hold over him and no destiny binds him. Peoples' future are changing with his presence alone and they will keep changing every time they interact with the boy.

Even if he didn't know it yet, he's slowly making the future a better place for everyone. With his direction of course.

Truly, meeting the boy has been the greatest blessing in this dull life of his.

**-0-**

**Orario- Deep Inside Daedalus Street**

**-0-**

"Hey Gabe, what did you call us out here for? You know how risky it is for us to meet like this." A man asked a burly looking human as he walk up to him in a secluded clearing surrounded by tall buildings. He was followed by another person, making those in the clearing three. They were all humans that goes by the name Gabe, Josh and Roz.

"Good, you two are finally here. Alright, listen up. I've got a proposition for both of you." Gabe answered, his voice gruff and deep. "Just last night some guy came up to me with a lucrative offer. If it all goes well, we're going to get a job that'll make us filthy rich."

"Wow, already?" Josh said with visible surprise. He was by far the smallest of the bunch and also the most cowardly.

"Well, Gabe has always have a way with people so it's not that surprising." Roz commented, he was almost the same size as Gabe, only not as heavily built as he is.

"Yeah, but still, it's only been a while since we got out. It usually takes a while before you can form connections right?" Josh pointed out.

"They came looking for me actually. The guy said they had heard about my work before and would like hire my particular talent for what they had in mind. I'll like you two to be my muscles just in case." Gabe explained.

"What's the job?" Roz asked.

"A recruitment pitch. They need me to persuade people to their cause, the more fools we get for them the better our pay would be." Gabe said while greedily rubbing his hands. This job would be a piece of cake for him. There's no small amount of desperate people in Orario who would do anything to better their lives. They'll eat up the bullshit he spew out to them easily. "They'll gather the people for us so my job is just to convince them to join them. One of their own will be there to oversee the entire thing as well and to fill in questions. They've already set the time and place for me to go, so are you two in?"

"Who are we helping exactly?" Josh couldn't help but ask.

"The guy who approached me was someone-" Gabe paused for a moment for the dramatic reveal. "From Evilus."

His companions obviously doesn't share his optimism as they both visible blenched at the name. "Evilus! Are you insane!?" Roz hissed out.

"I dunno man." Josh was similarly not on board with the idea. "We've only just gotten out of prison for a while and we were barely able to escape that place! We really should be laying low for now, not wasting our newfound freedom helping a bunch of terrorists."

"You fools! Don't you see?! This is our chance! Our chance to get back at all those bastards who turned their back on us. A chance to get back everything we had lost when we were put in jail!" Gabe growled at them, causing them to take a step back instinctively.

"Alright, alright. Calm down man. I guess I can go with you, I just have to stand around and look tough right?" Josh quickly said, not wanting Gabe to get mad at him for fear of his well being.

"Yes. What about you? Are you in or not?" Gabe asked Roz.

"I don't really know….It's a well paying job right?"

"Very." Gabe assures him.

"Then I guess in." Roz reluctantly agreed.

"Good. Follow me. I'll bring you guys there-" Gabe was interrupted when they all heard the sound of something rustling. "Who's there!?" He quickly questioned as his entire body went tense. His friends did as well as they all began looking around for whatever made that noise.

The sound of rustling came again and they all zeroed in on it and found a single cardboard box sitting right in the open. One that they were very certain wasn't there before.

"Josh, go check it out." Gabe commanded.

"What!? Me!? It could be something dangerous in there man." Josh protested with a bit of fear creeping into his voice.

"Yes you! You're a fully grown man for fuck's sake. Now get!" Gabe growled at him, promising him pain if he didn't comply.

Josh gulped and started taking tentative steps towards the boxes. The other two were looking at him intensely, wondering in uncertainty if someone was hiding beneath it and had heard what they were discussing.

Once Josh reached it, he slowly reach out his hand and place it on the box's side. He look over to the other two and Gabe motioned for him to get on with it. He turn back and took a deep breath to resolve himself, body ready to spring away at the first sign of danger.

He lift his arms and toss away the box in one smooth motion.

"Huh!?" Josh exclaimed as he look at what underneath the box.

Seeing that nothing had happened, Gabe began approaching to check himself since Josh was blocking the view. "What is it?" Gabe asked as he approaches Josh.

"There's a piece of paper under it." Josh informed Gabe.

"Really?" Gabe let out in disbelief, wondering just what's going on. "What does it say?"

"It says 'No second chances'." Josh read the note out loud, causing Gabe to stop in his tracks as his blood run cold. That phrase, it brought back bad memories from the past. It was spoken moments before that bitch Shakti arrived and tossed him behind bars, causing him to lose everything. Soon, anger began filling every fiber of his being and he started growling.

"Guys! I want you to find whoever left this note. They can't be far." Gabe said with rage in his eyes. "Josh go search that side. And Roz-" Gabe turn around to face Roz, but his words got stuck in his throat when he saw that his friend was kneeling on the ground, hands holding onto his neck as blood pours profusely from it.

"No!" Gabe cried out and ran to his dying friend's side, watching helplessly as he collapse onto his back.

He kneels next to him, hands pressing against the large slid on his neck in vain hope to stem the bleeding.

"Potion! Josh, I need a potion! Do you have an-" He turn around to call his other friend but his words died before they could form yet again when he saw that Josh was already on the floor

His head was nearly cut off, barely hanging on by the muscle fiber that connects it to his neck with an axe lodged in place. The area around him was quickly turning into a red puddle.

'_No second chances' _The phrase returned into Gabe's mind and he just knew that he was next. He got up and took off, abandoning Roz to die in order to preserve his own life. He didn't know where he would go but he didn't care so long as he isn't there.

He never managed to get far.

A sharp pain burst through his knee as though something had just exploded inside it and he found himself falling to the ground.

Gabe gasped in pain as he look down to his knee. His eyes widen when he saw an arrow tip protruding from it, having entered from the back.

Before he could try and get up, he found himself being fling to a nearby wall and slammed against it.

A single hand was holding him in place and Gabe saw someone in front of him. His features were shrouded in a shadowy hood, making him completely unidentifiable.

Gabe tried swinging his left arm at him but that arm was caught easily. His assailant twisted his arm and with a jerk, the entire thing was dislocated from the shoulder with a sickening pop that resounded in his ears. As if that wasn't enough, his arm was snapped in half by the forearm when his attacker slam his knee into it.

"ARRAGHHH!" Gabe cried out in pain as he felt his bones jutting out in places it shouldn't be. In his desperation filled with adrenaline and fear, he swing his other arm hoping that something might change.

That other arm was soon pinned into the wall with a dagger buried in his palm. "AHHHHHGGGGH-" Gabe screamed his lungs out before he finally stops to catch his breath.

As he did so, his attacker finally spoke. "I gave you a chance to turn over a new leaf but yet here you are, trying to help Evilus return to strength. Oh well, I never had any delusions that you might actually change so there's no loss there." He spoke nonchalantly, as though he was just speaking about the weather.

Gabe's eyes widen in recognition. "You! It's you!" He howled with rage at the one holding onto his collar, glaring so intensely that veins started to appear on his forehead. It was none other than the child who had orchestrated his downfall all those years ago.

"You ruined my life! I used to have everything! Influence, connections, powerful friends! Now they're all gone. The ones I called friends all abandoned me for fear of being associated with a known child rapist! All my hard work is gone! My life, RUINED!"

"And you ruined the life of a child who hadn't even began living her life. In my eyes, that is far worse when compared to someone who had already lived for so many years." His assailant calmly stated.

"She's my daughter! I have the right to do whatever I want with her-ARAGH!" Gabe let out in pain as his attacker twist the dagger in his palm.

"Step-daughter you mean. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you lost your right to call her that when you pumped her full of drugs and defiled her with your friends." The boy spoke, and there was a dangerous edge in his voice.

"When I get my hands on you I'm- RRRRGAHH!" Gabe gritted out with tears streaming down his eyes as the dagger was twisted again. He tried thrashing his working leg but soon found it immobile when the boy stomp into his knee, snapping his leg into an odd angle. The pain was too much, causing him to vomit all over himself a bit.

"You're going to do what exactly? In case you've forgotten, you're not in the position to make threats. And of course, I'm not a pint sized brat anymore so you'll find beating me to be far more challenging than last time." The boy said as he pull out the dagger, causing Gabe to gasp painfully before he was let go, falling onto his rear.

"Now then, know that you'll be joining your friends soon enough. But first, I want you to tell me everything you know about this Evilus meeting that you've mentioned as well as the one who approached you." His attacker questioned as he stood in front of him with his arms crossed behind his back.

"Fuck you! I'll never tell you a thing!" Gabe spat at him.

"So original." Gabe could almost feel him rolling his eyes when he said that. "But don't worry, you'll be squealing it all out along for the sweet release of death before I am even done with you." There was a promise in his voice, a promise of pain and suffering.

Gabe could do nothing but regret his words as he learn first hand just how a man can be kept alive as his body parts and organs were removed from his body, slowly and meticulously.

When the Ganesha Familia finally arrived on scene in response to all the screams, all they saw was that the area was completely covered in blood with no bodies to be found.

**-0-**

I stood on top of the roof as I observe the Ganesha Familia members arrive on scene. Realizing that it's best if I don't tarry here for too long, I left the area swiftly. Once I reached a relatively safe place, I sat down to think about what I've learned so far.

Okay, so the good news is that my magic can store dead bodies so long as I stuff them into sacks. Good, at least it makes body disposal easier. I hope they don't rot in there because that would be unpleasant.

Now I just need to find some spot in the Dungeon to dump them.

The next thing on the list is Evilus. God, you really can't get rid of them can you?

So with Rudra Familia and the trading company gone, they no longer have any one to turn to for aid and is desperately looking for anyone who would help them. That's... good news actually. It shows just how bad of a situation that they're in.

Now would be the perfect opportunity to whittle their numbers down while they're still confused and disorganized. You have to keep striking hard and fast to prevent them from ever gaining foothold and harass them at every turn. It'll make them desperate, more careless and easier to predict. Those with real power in the group would stick their heads out more in order to keep their pitiful organization in once piece and that's when it's time to strike.

It'll be like another hunt, just like the good old days.

With that in mind, I really can't just sit back and let things play out like I used to anymore now can I? Evilus is still out there and who knows what else that fancy themselves as evil overlords or conquerors. The world and it's people won't care if you want nothing to do with them. You can either get involve or be swept away as collateral damage.

Of course, that would mean a lot of stalking, information gathering and interrogation before I can actually do any eliminating….

Bah, who needs sleep anyway.

But still, I can't be careless here. I need to keep in mind that this isn't earth and that Falnas are bullshit. Being able to manhandle a man three times my size is proof of that. Not all of them are baseline humans here and there will be someone who is of higher level that can kill me easily.

So how will I go about dealing with the strength gap?

There is also another problem in the form of logistics. An operation of this scale just isn't something a single man can manage on his own. Back on earth I had access to resources, men as well as a reliable information network. Here, I barely have anything to work with, no men to command and the only information network I have is an expensive smelly old man who likes being cryptic.

While I was busy thinking of how to tackle these problems, I saw another group of Ganesha Familia running towards the scene I had just left and it was then did I have my epiphany.

Oh wait. That's it! I can just delegate everything to someone who I know has the resources. I don't have to be the one to do all the dirty work, someone else can. I just have to make sure they have all the information they need to make things go smoothly. Maybe tail them as well to make sure nothing goes wrong and do my own thing there while leaving all the strong Adventurers for them to deal with.

I grinned and stood up.

I'll need to work fast then. It's time I take a more active stance in this purging. God knows these idiots can't do it themselves. Here's to hoping that they actually can make used of what I've learned.

Still, this day wasn't all that bad. I got to tie up a certain loose end that I never thought I would be able to. I never really liked the idea that I had to sent him and his buddies to jail because I was too small to actually kill them at the time.

With a destination in mind, I hopped off the roof and make my way towards it.

**-****0-**

**Crash**

"God damn it! Not again!" Modaka cried out in despair as his window and another cup of coffee was shattered yet again by another arrow with a note on it.

**-0-**

**AN: Hey, thanks for reading this chapter. As always, please leave some feedback so I would know what you think about this chapter and don't be afraid to be brutally honest about it. I don't really mind good or bad opinions on my story as it lets me know just how well I'm doing.**

**For those who are wondering why I chose Fels to be a girl… Well, if you played Danmemo's Halloween event, you'll know.**

**And lastly, one timeskip coming right up.**


	12. Chapter 12: Daily Life Snippets

**Hey there. This chapter will be a lot different than rest chapters simply because of the way it's executed.**

**I have lots of ideas for this story but since I want to invoke the time skip card, those ideas would be wasted since they happened specifically in the time frame within the time skip. So instead of tossing them away, or using flashbacks, I've decided to turn these story ideas into snippets or short stories to show the passage of time.**

**I shall call this chapter: The Daily Life Snippets.**

**So yeah, best not take this chapter too seriously because it's just the slice of life stuffs and introduction to some new characters. It's also er….not as small of a chapter as I originally thought it would be. Oops?**

**What you'll find in this chapter is that time jumps around frequently here. But know that this chapter is arranged chronologically so the jumps are not entirely random. **

**You will clearly that see some segments are long and some are not. Reason for that is because the long ones are ones that were already written out before I made the decision for a time skip and merely needed some edits. The short ones, or rather, the 'meh' segments as I like to call them, were left short and not as good as they could be because of the time skip card. It'll take months if I actually try and flesh them all out and make the story flow naturally instead of having it feel like it was forced to move forward. we might just get more than 40k words for this chapter alone. At that point I might as well just make them into their own chapters. **

**So yeah, they're the short version of the plot ideas that I had. Since they're all basically fillers, you don't miss out on much. If they raise questions or needs more details because you don't know what's going on or is just plain confusing for you, tell me about them and I'll try and address it in the future.**

**And by the end of this chapter, a total of a year and a half will have passed since Cain became an Adventurer. To make things easier to keep track of for both of us, let's say that Cain started Adventuring during January.**

**As for why I decided to do this instead of just writing them out to be full-fledged chapters of their own, well, no one wants to wait for an entire year or two for the plot to finally progress to the level up portion right? If I actually turn all these ideas into fully fleshed out stories, I fear it may drag things out until the end of time.**

**Depending on how well received this is, I might make more daily life snippets in the future when there's another timeskip. If no one likes it and would actually like to see these ideas turn into a proper story of their own then sure, I can do that. Just know that it'll be a long time before any plot progression happens in the story though.**

**Now that I'm done explaining, I shall wait patiently for the feedback and pray to god that I didn't just make everyone hate me for doing this.**

**PS: Also, a bit of a bad news here. You've probably guessed it already since this chapter took so long to come out. But in case you haven't, I'm finally going back to work after being stuck at home for so long….. That means that you should expect updates to take waaaaaay longer then before as I'll be unable to write as frequently. It's definitely not because I brought myself a switch and have been playing Monster Hunter like a genocidal lunatic hell bend on exterminating all monster life.**

**PSS: This chapter was actually finished about two months ago but I just couldn't find the time to edit it. And when I finally did get to editing, I find myself adding new things in there which give me more things to look over and edit. It's was endless cycle but I somehow managed to broke it and post this chapter out.**

**PSSS: Does this chapter count as a large omake/interlude?**

**PSSSS: Holy shit, look at the followers and favs! I had no idea so many people enjoy this story.**

**Edit: I added some things to the last seigment to show how a level 5's senses is affected by Cain's skill.**

**-0-**

**Story #1: Pub Shenanigans**

**-0-**

It happened. It finally happened.

The day that I've been dreading had finally arrived.

I knew that it would happen eventually but yet there was nothing I could do but wait for it's inevitable arrival in trepidation.

I had done many terrible things in my life. Things that required that I abandon my morals in order to achieve; things that would've broken lesser men as their sanity was constantly gnawed upon. I had committed atrocities that would made even the devil shiver, and angels weep.

Yet even so, none of what I had done could've prepared me for this.

Maybe this is my punishment? Maybe this is some higher being's way of punishing me for my sins.

Either way, I can't keep wondering about it forever. It already happened so there's no point in pretending that it isn't there. The only thing I can do now is to deal with it and hope I can put it behind me quickly.

Oh man, I'm so not ready for this.

Naaza slowly turn around to face me with an almost broken look on her face. "Nii-san...am I going to die?" She asked me with a voice full of fear and confusion. In her hands were her bed sheet, but there was a very notable red spot on the otherwise white sheet. Her pants were also dyed with red stains and Naaza looked utterly terrified that she's suddenly leaking blood.

I did the only thing that I could possibly do in this situation.

I call for an adult.

"MIACH! MIACH! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!"

**-0-**

"And so here I am, hiding as Miach explain to Naaza just what's happening to her." I concluded my story to my listeners in a somber tone.

"Pfffff- nyahahahaha-" Anya started laughing out loud while holding onto her stomach while I give her my best deadpanned look across the table we're sitting at.

"It's not funny." I said seriously. "It was an utterly terrifying experience for the both of us."

Of course, my words only serve to make Anya laugh harder and fell to the floor. I could only narrow my eyes at her. Maybe if I try hard enough, I can actually get her to asphyxiate.

"I think you may be overreacting." Ryuu commented.

"Oh come on. You can't blame me. This is the first time I ever had to deal with something like that." I whined.

Right now it's well into the afternoon's break period for the pub and everyone was either doing their own thing or resting. I had ran into the place to seek refuge as Miach explains the birds and the bees to Naaza, prompting the girls who were there to ask me why I barged in so early in the morning, looking like I had seen a ghost.

Of course, I didn't tell them anything at first but that only led to them pestering me until the afternoon where I finally caved and told them just to shut them up.

"It's hard to believe no one ever told her what a period is." Syr commented. "You would've thought someone might've told her what it is already by now. Isn't she 13 already?"

"Yeah, it really would've helped if they actually did." I sighed. I think it has something to do with how my parents thought Naaza's parents had already told her that and vice versa so no one really brought it up with her.

"I'm surprised nya. I've always thought you were the kind of person who can deal with any kind of problem yourself nya. To think this was all it took for you to ran away, maybe you aren't so tough after all nya." Chloe said with a hand over her lips while giving me a sly giggle.

"Everyone has their own weaknesses. How would you feel when those little boys you love so much grew up to be those rowdy and rude men we had to kick out this morning." I shot back with smirk.

Chloe gasped as she stood up from her seat with a face full of horror. "How could you even say something like that nya! There's no way they're ever become like those losers nya!" Chloe here is a shotacon, so the very thought of little boys growing up to no longer be those innocent angels she viewed them as is too much for her.

It was a surprise for me to learn that at first but thankfully, she's the kind that thinks that all little boys should be protected and cherished rather than the kind that would go 'ara ara' on them. Sure she may be a bit perverted but she's got a good, albeit greedy, heart.

"Heh." Lunoire let out with an amused snort as she lazily listens to us talk. "While that story of yours is amusing, it's still your turn." She informed me while looking at the cards in her hand.

"Oh, right." I muttered before looking the cards that I have while Anya crawls back up to her seat and pick hers back up, shoulders still shaking with mirth. "Call." I said while pushing some wooden chips forward.

Just to be clear, we're not really betting any real money here since we're playing it for fun. While it may take out the tension of winning or losing a game, it's better than actually losing money. I would've never play with them if we were betting real money and they all knew that so we compromised instead.

Instead of using money, we all agreed that the losers will have to do what the winner tells them to as punishment for losing so there are actually some risks involved. Who knows what the girls would make me do if either of them won.

Our little game continue on with lots of fun banter going around between us. There were laughter when someone said something funny and there were curses when someone loses chunk of their chips.

But sadly, no games lasts forever. After forty minutes, the players in this match had been wittered down to just 3. Only Anya, Syr and I remained while the rest of the girls stuck around to watch how the match would conclude.

Anya had a look of anxiousness on her face as she look down on her card. Her eyes kept darting between the other two players still in the game beside her.

Syr met her worried look with absolute confidence, hiding her sickeningly sweet smile behind her cards. Anya gulped before looking to me where she was met with a perfect deadpan.

Her ears immediately dropped when she realized that she's faced with two impervious walls who doesn't seem to be giving an inch.

"I fold nya." She surrendered in disappointment and place her cards down before dropping out of the table.

"Looks like it's just me and you left Syr." I said to her, smirking slightly.

"So it would seem." She replied with a challenging smirk of her own.

"So what are you going to make us do if you win anyway?" I asked curiously.

Syr put on a thoughtful look as she hummed. "I don't know yet. It's hard to think of a fun punishment for everyone in such a short time." She eventually replied.

"Oh, I have an idea nya! You can make Cainya wear our uniform nya!" Anya 'helpfully' suggested to Syr.

"Seriously Anya? You still haven't given up on doing that?" I said with a bit of disbelief in my tone, causing her to stick her tongue out at me childishly. "Too bad that you lose huh? If you've won then you could've-"

"That's a great idea Anya." Syr interrupted with a happy smile.

"What!" I let out while looking back to Syr in shock.

"I've decided, if I win then I'll make Cain-san wear our uniform for the rest of the day." she declared and Anya whooped in excitement at her deceleration.

"Oh come on. There's gotta be something else you've always want me to do Syr." I pleaded.

"Nope." Syr replied, popping the 'P'. "I've already made up my mind. If you really don't want to be put in a dress then you just have to win don't you?" She told me, smiling ever so sweetly like the little she-devil that she is.

I look towards the other girls for support but found none as they just gave me looks of amusement. I could only give everyone the stink eye as I grumble in place.

"Since you already know what I planned on doing, what about you Cain-san? What would you make us do if you win?"

"Hmm…." I let out while I thought about it. "I would've try going for the same thing but I just realized that non of you would have any problem dressing up in male clothing, which is kind of unfair." I said in disappointment. It's not much of a punishment if they'd actually enjoyed it. As I look through their reaction, I saw that most of them look like they wouldn't mind at all which proved what I had suspected. Then my eyes landed on Ryuu and Anya standing next to each other and an idea formed in my mind.

"Fine. If I win, then Lyon-san will have to talk like a Cat People for a day." I said with a smirk.

"Oh! That's a great idea." Syr clapped her hands excitedly while the rest of the girls are also supporting of this idea.

"What!? Why!?" The elf immediately spoke up while looking at me as though I had just stabbed her in the back. The rest of the girls were all giving Ryuu mischievous looks as though they'd make sure she doesn't forget to add nya to the end of her sentence every time she speaks.

"I'm the only one in danger if I lose so it's only fair that someone else is in the same boat as me. If I'm going to suffer through this then I'm at least going to drag someone down with me. Sorry Lyon-san, but it's nothing personal. You were the only target available who would feel embarrassed easily." I explained.

Ryuu seem to glare at me before turning to look at Syr. "Syr, please win." She gave the gray haired girl the most heartfelt plead I had ever heard her given.

"Don't worry Ryuu, I got this in the bag already." Syr said confidently.

"Oh? So confident that you'll win? We still have a way to go before a victor emerges. So how about we do less talking and more playing." I suggested with an equally confident smirk.

**-0-**

"You'll never catch me alive!" Those were the words I shouted out as I toss a bunch of smoke bomb beneath my feet before running out of the pub. There was a bunch of confused shouting but I know it won't be long before someone, likely Anya, comes after me.

Yeah, the last round went pretty much as I expected it would. I didn't have a good hand to begin with so I had been preparing to make my grand escape long before we got to the end.

"He's getting away nya!" I heard the Anya's shout from inside the pub as I rush outside.

Right then, first order of business is to go somewhere safe. I have a feeling that Anya would hunt me down relentlessly just so she could see me in a dress. In order to avoid that, finding somewhere I can hunker down until the evening is my victory condition. The girls need to return to the pub to work by then, leaving me free to walk around like a free man once more. They'd probably forget everything by tomorrow anyway so I just need to survive today.

Heading home is a no go because the girls know where I live and trying to go elsewhere to hide only increases the chance of me getting caught since it's so bright and sunny today, making my skill practically useless.

The only place I think I can reach easily is the Dungeon since it's the closest. It's a literal labyrinth down there too so I can lose any pursuer easily. The irony of heading into a death trap just to be safe is not lost on me.

But I can't just run on a straight line towards the Dungeon. The girls are stronger and faster than me so if they saw me running down the street, they'll be able to catch me easily.

Instead, I rush towards the nearest alleyway and hearing people running out of the pub just as I entered it. Ah yes, alleyways, my greatest friend to would always be there to help me escape in my time of need.

Of course, even with my old friend's aid, it didn't take long for my pursuer to catch up. Or rather, my pursuers.

Anya and Lunoire had dropped out of the sky, one landing in front and one behind me, cutting off my paths of escape.

"Wait, I understand why Anya wants to catch me but why are you here as well?" I ask Lunoire in confusion while looking back and froth at the two girls blocking my paths.

"Well, Syr made catching you our punishment so here we are." Lunoire shrugged with a smirk on her face.

"Nye he he. You have no where to run nya. Best give up and accept your punishment nya." Anya said while rubbing her hands together with a sinister laugh.

"That's not fair! If your punishment is to catch me then I would be the only one who's going to suffer through doing something embarrassing!" I protested, eyes scanning for an escape. Of course, this being a narrow alleyway, the only way is forward or back which is currently being block by the both of them. I'll have to distract them both somehow if I want to get out of here.

"Maybe you shouldn't have ran away then. But then again, if you didn't then we'll have to wait anxiously for Syr to cook up something horrible for us as our punishment. Thanks for saving us from that by the way, but it still isn't going to save you from us." Lunoire grinned as she started to approach me slowly, most likely on purpose. Anya saw that Lunoire started to move so she began approaching as well.

With Anya behind me and Lunoire in front, escape seem like a very far off dream. I sighed and slowly raise my hands in to the air.

"Oh? Giving up I see. It's alright. There's no shame in surrendering when you know you can't win." Lunoire told me.

"No nya! Cainya is too stubborn to surrender this easily!" Anya quickly warns Lunoire but she was too late.

With a flick of my wrist, one of hands were no longer empty, causing Lunoire to stare at what I have summoned in bewilderment.

"Did you really think that a ball of yarn is going to save-" Lunoire began speaking but I immediately toss the yarn towards her. I immediately saw a blur jumping over my head, followed by a gust of wind. I managed to see Lunoire's eyes widen in sudden realization as well as panic before Anya crash into her and they both fell to the ground.

"Ack! Get off me you stupid cat!" Lunoire cried out and by then I had already started running off. Thank you Yarn-chan, your sacrifice will not be forgotten. It's a good thing I kept strings and yarns with me ever since Syr started teaching me how to sew. It's a good thing that they're classified as equipment too which made carrying them around easy.

"That was a dirty trick! Have you no honor at all!?" I heard Lunoire shouted at me.

"Honor is for the strong. The weak do whatever they can to survive, even if it means playing dirty." I shouted back before running out of their sight.

But before I could get very far, Chloe appeared to obstruct my path.

"Tch." I click my tongue when I saw her. She was leaning against the wall while playing with her tail. It would seem that she was waiting for me here.

"I knew that those two wouldn't be able to catch you nya. It was the right choice to lay in wait further ahead nya."

"Oh? I have no idea you think so highly of my skills." I said, mind thinking of how to deal with her. The only reason why I could deal with my previous hurdle was because I knew how Anya would react when she lay her eyes on a ball of yarn. I have no idea if the same trick would work on Chloe as well. But then again, knowing her personality, it doesn't have to be yarn.

"Of course nya. You're the only person who kept getting the jump on me nya. It goes to show just how skilled you are nya." Chloe said as she push herself off the wall and looking ready to pounce at me.

Knowing that I can't waste anymore time, I decided to try out what I had in mind. With a bleeding heart, I summon a small pouch into my hand.

Chloe saw the pouch and immediately tensed, no knowing what's inside. She quickly make her move and leaped at me to prevent me from doing anything. But she was a second too late.

I open my coin pouch and toss it high into the air. With it opened, it's contents started flying everywhere and we could both see Valis falling from the sky.

Instantly, Chloe change her trajectory by kicking off the wall and went for the coins instead. She preformed a feat of superhuman agility and dexterity, catching every single coin in the air and landing gracefully without a single one touching the ground.

But by the time she landed, I had already ran off like the honorless bastard that I am.

"Munya! He tricked me nya!" I heard Chloe cried out as I continue to run.

With Chloe dealt with, there nothing left to obstruct me and I swiftly make my way towards my destination. With the pub being located close to the Dungeon, it didn't take long for me to reach it. I could see the Babel Tower right in front of me when I reach the exit of the alley.

But instead of barreling straight into the tower, I skidded into a halt when someone casually walk into the alley and block my path.

"Why hello there, Cain-san. Going somewhere?" Syr said to me, seemingly amused at my resistance to her punishment as she gave me one of those sweet smile of hers.

"What the!? Syr? How did you get here so fast?" I questioned the gray haired girl in confusion. With the speed I was going, there's no way someone without any Falna could actually catch up to me, let alone get ahead of me to block my only exit.

"Oh, that's easy. I just took the gale express." She replied with a giggle.

"Gale express?" I said in confusion, never having heard that term before, but then it dawned on me.

But before I could move, something fell from above, knocking me into the ground and pinning me in place.

"Lyon-san?!" I cried out when I turn my head to see who my attacker is. Blasted, she's the only one that I didn't have any countermeasures against. "Don't tell me you want to see me in a dress to!?"

"I do not. But catching you is the penalty for losing so it's nothing personal." I can see the glint of amusement in her eyes when she said that.

Right now she's just sitting on top of my back so I couldn't go anyway. Truthfully, I could get up easily because Ryuu's just so light but I know when I'm beaten so I didn't. There's no point in trying to get away now since Ryuu can easily catch me before I can even reach the Babel entrance.

"Okay, I may have deserved that." I admitted with a shrug of my shoulders. "But seriously though, I thought you would at least have some reservations about hunting me down like a wanted criminal and subject me to heinous emotional torture."

Ryuu did seem a bit guilty at my words but Syr spoke up before she could say anything.

"It wasn't that hard to get her on board though. Why, it's almost like she wanted to see you in a dress herself." Syr commented.

"Y-you are mistaken. It was simply easier to give in and do as Syr said than go against her." Ryuu quickly denies Syr's words with a slightly face red.

"So you _do_ want to see me in a dress!" I accused.

"No!" She denied but the redness of her face gave her away. "It was just a curious thought, that's all." She said, making excuses like any guilty party would.

"Oh! Nice work on catching Cainya, Ryuu." I heard Anya's voice called out from behind.

I crank my head around and saw the three girls who had tried to apprehend me before coming our way.

"I had a feeling that it would hard to catch him but I was actually surprised at how hard he made it for us." Lunoire commented as she walk up to me, looking a bit annoyed for the stunt that I had pulled on her.

"I'm actually fine with this." Chloe said happily while tossing my coin pouch in the air and catching it again.

"It's just how Cain is nya." Anya said and I noticed that she was holding onto a wooden pole.

"Er...Anya, what's that for?" I asked Anya with uncertainty in my voice as she walk up to me.

"There's a chance that you might try to slip away again nya, so we aren't taking any chances nya." Anya said while hoisting the pole for me to see. "We're going to make sure you are brought back to the pub no matter what nya!"

In just a few short moments, I ended up getting hogtied to the pole and carried back like an animal that had been hunted.

**-0-**

"Alright girls, allow me to introduce our new waitress." Syr said with a happy smile on her face as she opened the door to the changing room, allowing the other girls to enter.

They had been forced to wait outside while Syr does her magic on me so I would look great in what they're making me wear. Of course, I wasn't allowed to look as well and had to keep my eyes closed the entire time Syr help me put the clothes on.

I opened my eyes with blank look on my face to see the girls file in excitedly to get a look at me and watch as they react to what they're seeing.

Surprising no one, Anya was the first to rush in. When she saw me, she immediately toppled over and started having a fit of laughter while clapping her hands like a retarded seal.

Lunoire entered next, having to step over Anya to do so. She gave the catgirl an annoyed look first before she turn her eyes to me. Her eyes widen slightly when she saw me and then she began laughing softly alongside Anya.

Chloe came next and her jaws dropped as though she's having trouble believing what she's seeing. "How is this even possible nya?! He's even more feminine looking than me nya!" She shouted in disbelief as though the world is being unfair to her.

"Well sorry for being even more girly looking than you are." I retorted in complete sarcasm while my eyebrow twitch in annoyance. It's not like I asked to have my mother's good looks god damn it. Why can't I be born manly like my father?

"This is….rather surprising." Ryuu commented after she entered and saw what she had brought upon me.

"I know right? I didn't even need to put any make up on him. He's a natural already." Syr said with a giggle. "Okay Cain-san, you can take a look yourself now." She told me and I turn around to look at the full length mirror in the room to see just what I look like.

What was reflected upon the mirror was undoubtedly a girl at first glace. If I didn't knew that it was me standing there then I would've thought we got ourselves a new waitress if I ever see her around. Syr even have a long black wig for me to make me even more girly looking.

"This is so wrong." I said, ignoring Anya's loud laughter echoing in the changing room.

I thought I finally escaped this curse after I had grown up somewhat but all it did was made noticing that I'm a guy bit easier for others because of my figure. After putting on a somewhat baggy dress, all signs of me being a boy was hidden away by the fabric.

I can't wait to start having broader shoulders and more defined muscles so I no longer have to deal with this ever again.

"Nyahahahaha-" Anya had been laughing ever since she laid eyes on me and it doesn't seem like she's going to stop any time soon.

"Oh, but you look so cute Cain-san…. or should it be Cain-chan now?" Syr commented with a sly smile and I shivered at the wrongness of how that sounded.

"No. Just no." I said, placing a hand over my face and sighing in defeat.

"You don't even seem that embarrassed about it at all. I don't get why you were so against it in the first place if that's the case." Lunoire noted. She had a good laugh too but unlike Anya, she stopped after the novelty wore off.

"Some lines must never be crossed. Once you do, there's no turning back, ever." I said seriously. "And also because I fear Anya might start making me wear weirder things in the future if I ever did."

"How does it feel nya?" Chloe asked curiously, still looking a bit displeased by the fact that I look better than her in a dress.

"I have to admit, it does feels a bit breezy down there." I said, flapping my skirt a bit and feeling the wind blowing around my legs.

"Perks of wearing a dress nya." Chloe told me with a smile while Anya finally manage to stop herself from laughing and is slowly climbing back up to her feet.

"Hey Anya," I spoke, drawing the catgirl's attention to me. "Be honest with me, does this dress make my butt look big?" I asked with a perfect deadpan, prompting Anya to burst into another laughing fit to the point where no sound came out anymore.

"Cainya *gasp* Please stop *gasp* nya. I can't breath nya." She gasped between breaths, shoulders shaking while everyone was looking at her in amusement.

_Good, good.__Let the laughter flow through you. __My plan on __asphyxiat__ing her is slowly coming together._ I thought with an evil chuckle.

"Musashi-san, I apologize for causing your predicament" Ryuu said to me with a genuine guilty look on her face, most likely feeling sorry that I'm being laugh at this much.

"Oh don't worry about it, what done is done." I wave her apology off casually before letting out another sigh. "With how determine Anya was to put me in a dress, it's bound to happen eventually. So I guess this is it then. I just spent the rest of the day wearing this?" I asked the witch that made this my penalty.

"Yep." Syr confirmed.

"Alright then." I said before placing a hand over my throat. "Ah… ah…. Ahhhh…" I let out, adjusting my voice to make it a higher pitch as I go along. "If any dudes starts groping me, don't blame me if they left the pub with their most important parts missing." I said to them with a completely female voice, surprising the girls with it. It was so surprising that Anya actually stopped laughing.

"Oh right. I forgot you could do that." Syr said in regards to how I just changed my voice.

"Nya!? Cainya can change his voice at will? How come I never knew about it nya?" Anya demanded.

"Well, I've only ever seen him do it at the orphanage when he's telling a story. He changes his voice to match the characters that he's voicing." Syr informed Anya.

"Is there anything you can't do nya?" Chloe ask me.

"Explaining what a period is." I deadpanned, causing Anya to start snickering as I reminded her just why I came to the pub today. "Well then, I guess I should get use to moving around in this before we open the pub. I'd rather not trip because my skirt kept getting snagged on something."

"Oh, oh! Let's go find May while you're at it. We can pretend that you're a new girl and see how long it'll take for her to figure out who you are." Anya suggested with a grin and I smile back at her.

"Of course, I'm always up for a prank."

**-0-**

**Story #2: The Messenger God And His Captain (Continuation Of Story #1)**

**-0-**

"Welcome to the Hostess of Fertility. Will it be a table for two?" I greeted with a courteous smile as the customers entered the building.

"That's right." Hermes replied, shooting me a charming smile.

If the name wasn't obvious enough already then the divine aura Hermes emits is proof enough of his godly status. He has blonde hair and orange eyes and is donning his signature feathered hat. He has a slender built and a pretty effeminate face that he uses to charm many women before and has a reputation of being a playboy.

He is also one of the many deity that frequents this pub since this is the place with the best food, his words not mine.

Beside him is a girl that seem to be a bit older than me is known as Perseus, Hermes' Familia captain. Her real name is Asfi Al Andromeda and is known to be a non-nonsense kind of person. She's also famous for making tons of cool stuffs. She has light blue hair and blue eyes and wears a pair of glasses. She also gives off an aura of elegance and nobility so maybe she's actually someone rich or important.

"Very well, if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your seats." I said and proceed to lead them to a nearby table. They both took their seats and I proceed to take their orders. "So what will you both be having this evening?" I asked them.

"I'll have the pub's special, a glass of lemonade and a lovely smile from our beautiful waitress." Hermes said while giving me a saucy wink. He seem to be trying to flirt with me. It might have something to do with the fact that I'm wearing a god damn dress and a wig right now but who knows, he might secretly be gay.

I'm not surprise that he didn't recognize me since I never interact with him before and I was in the kitchen most of the time when he came over.

I ignored him and address the girl instead. "And you miss?" I asked her, causing Hermes to put on a look of mock hurt from being ignored. He's used to being rebuffed and ignored by now so there's no need to feel bad for him.

"I'll just have tea please." She replied, causing me to raise an eyebrow at her order.

_What's this? A fellow tea drinker! _I thought to myself in surprise. In fact, I was so surprised by this development I ended up just staring at her owlishly.

She noticed my look very quickly and frowned. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, no. It's just that this never happened before. I think you may be the first person to ever order tea since I've been working here." I told her. Like seriously. No one ever orders tea here. It's always the usual beer or some fruity cocktail.

"Does that mean you don't serve tea here?" She asked, almost sounding a bit unhappy by the prospect of needing to drink something else.

"Of course we do. You might have to wait for a bit for it to brew since we'll be making it from scratch. Are you alright with that?"

"I'm fine with it."

"Alright then." I said with a slight smile. I'm always happy to have find someone else who actually enjoys tea in this world. There aren't really a lot of people here that actually enjoy the refined beverage to be honest.

"If there isn't anything else that you need, I shall be taking my leave." I said. I was about to turn around and leave but Perseus stopped me.

"Excuse me, this may sound sudden but do you happen to have any siblings or any other relatives your age by any chance?" The girl asked.

"Hm? I do have little sister. Why ask?" I replied.

"It's just that I've met someone before who looked a lot like you so I thought the two of you might be related."

"I see…." I replied with a thoughtful look. I think I know what she's talking about. She might be asking for the male Cain while thinking that I might be the sister or something.

We've actually met once, back when Evilus had launch a large scale attack on the city. You may not think it when you look out into the city now but the tragedy actually happened not long ago.

It was Orario's darkest day to date. Almost the whole city was set ablaze. Massive civilian casualties mounting to the thousands and many buildings reduced to burning piles of debris. My Familia even got involved to help the wounded and getting civilians to safety. Needless to say, I helped as well, just in a different manner.

While my Familia stayed in one spot and wait for the wounded to be brought to them, I took it upon myself to search for any survivors buried in debris and alert others that they're there. I was already used to moving around in ruined cities so I could get around much faster and find people easier. I also carried around a large bag filled with medical supplies to heal any injured people I came across.

I met Perseus during the search and rescue operation back then. We got paired up to search for civilians for a while and never saw each other again. I don't recall doing anything special to stand out aside from doing my part in helping people get their shit together so I'm surprised that she seem to recognize me. I should've been just another face in the horde of people trying to fix the city.

I have no idea what she might want from me but since I wearing a dress right now and she might get the wrong idea about me, it's best to pretend that I'm not the one she's looking for.

"Well, I don't have any other siblings nor do I know any relatives that look like me so I can't help you there." I told her with a small shrug.

"I see….Then I suppose it's my mistake. I apologize for bothering you." She said.

"It's fine. If there isn't anything else, I will be back with your orders shortly." I said and proceed to walk to the kitchen to pass it on.

Anyway, since this is the first time someone has ordered tea, I need to brew it myself. After all, someone else might've gotten it wrong. We wouldn't want someone to have a bad first impression of the tea we make here right?

**-****0-**

"Here are you orders." The raven haired waitress said as she place their respective orders in front of them. "Please enjoy." She said to them with a polite smile before leaving to serve another table.

"Hmmm….This place sure got a lot of new waitresses since the last time I was here." Hermes said once the waitress was gone. He had a satisfied smile on his face as his eyes wandered to the other waitresses that are on duty.

"Did you bring me here just so you can ogle at the waitresses?" Asfi asked in disbelief.

"Of course not. We came here to take a short break and to get away from the sun for a bit. The waitresses here are just a bonus." Hermes told her with a small laugh, causing her to sigh exasperatedly. "But still, I didn't think that you had it in your to try and make small talk with strangers, Asfi."

"I wasn't." Asfi said while looking at the waitress from before with a thoughtful expression before letting out a sigh and looking back at Hermes. "It's just that seeing her reminded me of someone that I've met before. They looked really similar so I thought maybe they're related somehow. I guess I was wrong in that regard."

"Oh? Is it anyone that I know?" Hermes asked.

Asfi shook her head. "No, I don't think. It had been...a very difficult time for Orario then and you were always elsewhere."

"Oh? Are you referring to the 'Seven Deadly Days'?" Hermes guessed.

"Yes..." Asfi answered with a frown, the name alone bringing up bad memories for her as she think back to the time when she had met him. Even now, a few things still remained as clear as day in her memories. The city as a whole burning, civilians getting hurt and dying in droves, and lastly, a boy younger than her who almost seemed at home in the ruined city, surrounded by the dead and dying.

She didn't know that it was possible for someone so young to be so desensitized to all the suffering and death surrounding him until she met him.

It goes without saying that he was easily one of the most memorable things for her during that time.

When she first saw him, he was in the midst of the chaos, barking orders that were sharp and clear to Adventurers and civilians alike, turning the mad scramble to save the city and it's people into an organized one. He made the search and rescue went more effectively then she thought possible.

He was one of the few people who had a commanding presence out in the field. He seem to exert a kind of aura that makes it hard not to listen to him. He speaks and you listen, period. At the time, no one seem to find anything wrong with taking orders from him. It seemed to her that everyone assumed that he was a taller than average Pallum instead of the child reaching his teens that he actually is. She had as well, at least until she learned his real age from Bete Loga.

Once that he was done giving out orders and assigning roles, he joined in with the rescue effort as well. It was actually amazing to see him work so calmly under the intense pressure, and a bit unnerving to see him so unbothered by the flames and gruesome bodies around him.

The last time they had ever talked was after their last encounter with Olivas Act. She had been helpless against the superior foe, unable to do anything while he play with her like she was a toy and threatening to kill the civilians she was protecting if she tired something. Just when she thought she was going to die, he came.

A 12 year old boy, waltzing into the middle of a warzone like he belonged there and drawining everyone's attention to him by just talking. She thought he was crazy for doing something like that and she was half right. Apparently his plan was to keep everyone's attention on him to buy time for others arrive to help and he succeeded. Though he got a sword stabbed into his gut by Olivas for his efforts in the end.

Then reinforcements came and Evilus realized that their plan has failed and started retreating.

She tried moving to help the boy Instead of letting her help him, he told her to go after them, claiming that he would be fine. She believed him too. It's hard not to when he looked more annoyed at the situation than concern for his life. Even with a weapon buried hilt deep into his gut and large quantity of of his blood pooling onto the ground, he treated the entire thing like it's no more than a minor inconvenience.

Even so, she still regretted not staying behind to help him back then.

"He must be very impressive if you think so highly of him." Hermes commented.

"Yeah...I guess so." Asfi gave a meaningful hum. She's still remember what he managed to accomplished while saving her. If that doesn't scream impressive, she doesn't know what does. He most likely would've been able to level up then and there had his stats actually met the requirement for it.

"Hmmm…. Well, if you're looking for this person you could always ask everyone else to help you find him." Hermes suggested.

Asfi shook her head. "No. I'd rather not. This is somewhat personal and I'd rather do it myself. I'll start looking for him once I actually have the time to." She said. "I'm not even sure if he's even alive." She muttered to herself. Lately it had been one thing after another so she really didn't have the time to check if he even survived that day. It's only recently did her Familia finally have the chance to slow down and relax from all their errands.

She wondered if she would ever run into him again. She hoped that she does. She still owe him for his help after all and she dislike owing debts.

"Well, Orario is a big city. If he did survive that day then you're bound to run into him eventually." Hermes told her reassuringly.

Asfi nodded and took a sip of her tea. Once the hot liquid entered her mouth, she immediately widen her eyes and stopped drinking to let out a surprised gasp.

Hermes instantly look over to her with a surprised expression, not having expected to hear something like that coming out from his Familia's captain. Realizing what she had just done, Asfi covered her mouth with the tips of her fingers as she blushes lightly before quickly look away to prevent making eye contact with Hermes.

"What happened?" Hermes questioned in a concerned manner.

"N-nothing. Nothing at all." Asfi quickly replied.

"You sure?"

"Yes. It's just that...this tea is really good." Asfi admitted, the redness on her face increasing slightly.

Hermes blinked a few times at Asfi before slowly leaning back against his chair with the look of someone who had just witnessed something incredible. "If you're saying that then it must be really amazing. This might be the first time I actually heard you compliment someone's tea. You're usually very picky about it." Hermes said in amazement.

"I am not." Asfi tries to deny but she wasn't really being convincing with how she refuses to make eye contact with Hermes.

"Either way, I think we've just found a new favorite tea spot for you." Hermes said with a chuckle, watching Asfi mumble something with a red face before she chose to focus on savoring her drink and ignoring him.

Seeing how his Captain seem to be enjoying herself, he has a feeling that they're going to be coming back here more frequently now.

**-0-**

**Story #3: Loki Familia's Return (continuation of story #2)**

**-0-**

"Kanpai!" Loki cheered, raising her mug of beer into the air while standing on top of the table. The Goddess of Mischief has light red hair tied into a ponytail and red eyes. She is also dressed up in a tomboyish attire which includes a pair of jeans and a shirt that show off her stomach.

Upon her signal, the rest of her Familia did the same. They all cheered happily, the sound of mugs clanking together echoed in the air before they down the beverage in their hands down their throats.

Soon, they start eating the meal that was presented before them and the air around them became very lively. They were all filling their stomachs and having fun chatting with each other and one could easily see that they were happy and excited. But none of them were happier than Loki herself.

As for why they're all in such high spirits, it's because Loki Familia had just returned from their expedition today. And according to the rumors that I've heard spreading around the pub, it had been an interesting one too.

"Man, I can't believe that Loki Familia managed to kill Bolar during their expedition." One guy said in awe.

"Isn't that like, an incredibly strong Monster Rex in the deep floors? I heard that King manage to half kill one all by himself." Another replied.

Woah. If Loki Familia managed to do something like that then they'll be swimming with money from it's loot. No wonder why they're spending a lot more than usual even for a celebration.

As for what a Monster Rex is, they're equivalent to a boss monster in the Dungeon. It goes without saying that they're incredibly strong and gets insanely stronger the deeper you go into the Dungeon.

But as luck would have it for us poor Adventurers, they won't spawn all the time like regular monsters, nor do they spawn on every floor. Instead, there's always a downtime in between spawning and they only appear in some floors.

For example, the first Monster Rex an Adventurer would encounter is called the Goliath, located on the 17th floor. After you kill it, it would take about two weeks before it respawn again. That time in between spawning would give the Adventurers a brief respite before having to kill it again and allow those who don't want to fight it to pass through to the 18th floor safely. But the time it takes for Monster Rexes to respawn isn't the same for every Monster Rex. The stronger the Monster Rex is, the longer it will take for them to respawn.

"I heard Loki shouting about how happy she was with so many of her children managing to level up after their expedition."

"Really? Did you catch any names?"

"No. But I'm sure we'll find out when the Guild announce their level up sometime soon."

"Oh wow, there sure is a lot of people leveling up lately. I wish I'll be able to level up soon as well." One guy sighed and they started talking about what they could be doing in order to accomplish that.

So in short, Loki and her Familia are here celebrating the successful expedition as well as their recent level ups. With the pub being the place that Loki likes, it's only natural that they would came here to party.

"Wait, Cain? Is that you?" I heard someone call my name while I was serving food to their table. I move my eyes while keeping my head still to see who it was. I saw that Bete was there, peering at me, as if he's trying to figure out what he's seeing.

His confusion might be due to the fact that I'm wearing the pub's uniform right now. He must never know.

"That's not my name Customer-san, I'm sure you've mistaken me for someone else." I replied, using the female voice that I had adjusted myself to earlier today.

Bete's eyes narrowed suspiciously at me. "Oh really? Then explain to me why you have the same scent as he does?"

Oh shit. Right, he has a keen smell. I forgot about that. Quick! Deflect the question. "Ew, why are you going around sniffing the waitresses here, pervert." I said loudly while showing a disgusted expression, causing the people sharing the same table as him to look at him in surprise. Some of the girls sharing the same table seem to be giving him a look of disgust as well.

"Wha- No! It's not like that." He tried defending himself before pointing a finger at me. "Just admit it already, you're actually Cain aren't you!?" It would seem that he's trying to get out the disgusted stares by trying to unmask my identity.

"No, Cain is my brother. We're twins actually." I replied smoothly.

"Oh really? Then how come he never said anything about having another sister aside of that Chienthrope of his."

"Did you ever ask him about having any more sibling?" I countered, knowing full well that he never did.

His eyebrows furrowed together thoughtfully. "W-well, no. But he would've at least mentioned something as important as having another sister." He said after a moment.

"Are you sure? Has he ever brought anything up by himself before?" I replied.

"That-" He paused as his expression twisted into one of focused thinking, likely searching his memories. I may look calm and composed right now but inwardly, I'm worried that I might not get out of this place without Bete figuring out that I'm actually who he thinks I am. He'll never let me live it down if he ever did.

"Hey! Don't harass our waitress nya!" Someone call out from the side and I saw that Chloe is rapidly approaching my position. What's this? Is Chloe going to rescue me from my predicament? I could feel a sense of hope rising in my chest that maybe I might just survive this night with what little dignity I have left.

Once she reached me, she immediately put me behind her as if she's shielding me from Bete. "I don't know why you're shouting at her like that but she's a delicate flower nya. You shouldn't be going around being so mean to girls nya know." She said to Bete, shooting him a crossed look while my eye twitch slightly at being called delicate.

"Come on nya. Let's just ignore this brute and get you somewhere safe nya." She said before pushing me away, leaving a dubious Bete to deal with the irate females on his table.

When we both entered the kitchen, I let out a breath of relief and look towards Chloe with an expression of gratitude. "Thanks for the save back there Rollo-san."

"I told you to just call me Chloe nya. Was he someone you know nya?" Chloe replied.

"Yeah. I'd probably have to hide away in the mountain and become a hermit for the rest of my life if he figures out who I am. I guess I owe you one."

"Nye he he. Since I did you such a huge favor, you better pay me back spectacularly nya."

"Sure, sure. How does Tuna pie sound?" I told her, causing her to be lost in thought at the idea as she drooled a bit. I chuckled and shook my head slightly in amusement. "Tuna pie it is then."

"Excuse me." I heard Naaza's voice coming from the entrance of the kitchen. My head immediately snapped towards the door and I saw her peeking her head into the place.

"I'm looking for my Nii-san, did he come by here by any chance?" She asked the people in the kitchen and all at once, everyone pointed their fingers at me.

Naaza's gaze followed where they're pointing and she seem to froze when her eyes landed on me. "Nii….san?" She uttered out incredulously and is obviously confused, as though she's having trouble processing what she's seeing.

In the end, I said the only thing appropriate for the situation at hand. "Fu-"

**-0-**

**Story #4: Sniffing Around For The Truth**

**-0-**

When I returned home from my grocery run, I was rather surprised to see someone who I didn't think I'd see so soon standing inside the shop. My arrival seem to have alerted him somehow and he turned around, causing our eyes to met.

"Mutt." I said.

"Twat." Bete replied.

We both nodded at each other and he proceed to leave the pharmacy. I noticed that he was empty handed so it made me wonder what he even came here for.

"Did you come here for something Bete?" I asked him as he walked past me.

"No. Nothing at all." He said gruffly before walking out the door.

Hmm, he sure was acting weird there. I wonder he up to? I look back inside the shop and saw Naaza sitting by the counter. Maybe she would have some idea as to what Bete came here for.

"Hey Naaza." I greeted her as I approach.

"Welcome back, Nii-san." She replied with an amused look.

"Did Bete come here for something?" I asked her, head jerking towards the door where said werewolf just left.

"Oh, nothing much. He's just drop by to ask about whether or not you actually have a twin." Naaza replied while smiling.

"Has he now?" I said with a smirk on my face. I had no idea that something like that would be gnawing on Bete until he actually came to find out the truth for himself. I could have some fun with this. I can't make things too obvious though. Since I never mentioned that I had a twin before, it would be odd if I suddenly start bringing it up now. "What did you say to him?" I asked curiously.

"I simply said that we don't talk about her, and that she's a taboo subject in this family. Then you came and he left."

"That's great. Thanks for keeping that a secret for me Naaza-chan."

"Of course, it wouldn't do if Loga-san found out about your secret hobby now would it, Nee-chan?" She said, those half-lidded eyes of hers were sparkling with amusement.

"Ugh." I let out in pain and place my hands over my heart as though I had just been stabbed by her words. "Naaza-chan, I told you that I'm only wearing that because I lost a bet!"

"Sureee." She let out in an unconvinced manner, smiling condescendingly all the while.

"Naaza, I'm being serious here. I'm not into cross-dressing!"

"Of course."

"At least _try_ sounding like you meant it." I pleaded sorrowfully, causing her to laugh at my misfortune.

**-0-**

**Story #5: Amazoness In The Orphanage**

**-0-**

"Kuro-kuuuun!" While I was walking down Daedalus Street with Syr, I heard a very faint but familiar voice shouted out from somewhere and my brain automatically estimated the distance and direction of where it came from.

Direction: 6 o'clock; Distance: 500 meters.

It was far and faint enough that only I managed to pick it up as I noticed that Syr looked completely oblivious to what I've just heard. There's also the sound of footsteps that's rapidly closing in. Judging by how loud their footsteps are getting, they're also pretty fast.

My first instinct was to prepare myself for a fight just in case whoever is coming our way is hostile. Then my brain finally finish processing the words that were shouted and I realize whose voice it was. It really wasn't hard to narrow down the owner of said voice as there is only one person who has ever called me by that nickname.

Instead of pulling a weapon out, I clamp my instinct to fight down and let my hands down. Then, I proceed to physically prepare myself so I can deal with said person without getting hurt.

I stopped walking and planted both my feet down firmly on the ground, bracing my body for the impact that's undoubtedly coming my way. Syr continued on ahead a few more steps before she finally noticed that I had stopped. She turn around and look at me with a confused expression. The off duty waitress opened her mouth to speak, presumably to ask what's wrong, but she never got a word out before I was struck from the back.

By a petite Amazoness shaped missile no less.

The young Amazoness managed to land right on my shoulders and stayed there. Even though I'm properly braced, I still stumbled when her body crashed into mine. My ears was met with the sound of Syr's surprised gasp and the Amazoness' happy laughter.

You remember the twin Amazoness that I direct towards Loki Familia months ago? This one is one of them, the flat one, Tiona Hiryute. We had met up a couple of times after that so I guess you can say that we're acquaintances or something.

I almost fell onto my face thanks to the newly added weight on my shoulders but managed to regain my balance just in time before I topple over. "Are you trying to snap my neck or something you crazy girl!? Don't go around lunching yourself at a level one guy with your level four strength for crying out loud!" I cried out in annoyance as I crank my neck backwards to glare into to the eyes of my unwanted passenger.

Oh right, I forgot to mentioned that I was very wrong in my assumption about their stats when I first met them. Instead of being a level 2s or level 1s that's about to become level 2s, the Amazoness twins are actually both level 3s when I first met them. It was why they could trash so many people around so easily. I'm very grateful that they didn't decide to make me fight them back then. They're also level 4 right now, having leveled up from their previous expedition alongside the rest of the core members of Loki Familia.

I can see those brown eyes of my passenger sparkling with mirth before she hopped off me and cheerfully pat me on the back in greeting. "Heya Kuro-kun! Surprise to see you here today." She greeted me, completely ignoring what I've said.

Knowing from experience that it's futile to stay on subject, I decided to greet her back instead. "I could say the same for you. What are you doing at this neck of the woods?"

"The woods? We're not in a forest right now so why would you mention the woods? And does it even have a neck?" She asked while tilting her head sideways, showing visible confusion on her face.

"It's an idiom, Tiona. It means a particular area; so when I ask what you're doing in this neck of the woods, I was actually asking why you're here." I explained to the Amazon like one would to a child when they didn't know something, which is appropriate seeing that she's only 12 right now.

"Oooooh, I see. Oh! Syr-chan! Hi." Having finally noticing the other person here, Tiona shot her hand up and gave the gray haired girl a quick wave.

"Hello, it's nice to see you too Tiona-san." Syr greeted her back with a polite nod.

"Hm? Syr, you know Crazy girl here?" I asked her as I point at the Amazon in question.

"Of course I do. It's hard not to be familiar with Tiona-san when the her Familia are regulars at the pub." She informed me. "Especially when she's the one responsible for biggest mess on the table every time." She added with a pointed stare at the Amazon, causing Tiona to rub the back of her head sheepishly. "Seeing how close you two are, I'm guessing you two are familiar with each other as well." Syr continued, looking between us with interest and I was struck with a familiar feeling. It feels like one of those times where Syr is going to interrogate someone.

"Which is weird because Cain-san never mentioned anything making new friends at all. So, how did you two get to know each other? I wanna hear every single detail." She asked us while beaming with eager curiosity, causing me to let out a wry smile as I realized that I was right. Oh Syr, always the busybody with the insatiable curiosity.

"Is there really a need for me to inform you every time that I befriended someone?" I asked her.

"Of course, Cain-san. I can count the number of people you are friends with two hands. Something like this is reason to celebrate. You almost never make any friends at all. The girls and I are worried that you'll grow into an old man all alone with only stray cats to keep you company."

"You mean even more so than usual?" I asked her with an amused quirk of my eyebrow. If you're wondering what I meant by that, I was talking about the girls back at the Hostess of Fertility. The staffs are mainly consisted of Cat people so the term stray cats are an apt description of them as they didn't belong anywhere until Mia found them and took them in. Anya often refers herself as one and I suspect the rest also sees themselves as the same.

It took a moment for Syr to catch on to what I'm talking about and she let out a giggle when she did. "That's true now that you've mention it, I guess you're surrounded by them already. But still, you wouldn't mind telling me how you both met right?"

"Sure thing! Me and Tione first met him when we arrived at Orario over half a year ago. He was the one who recommended us to join Loki Familia and it was the bestest thing that happened to us ever!" The Amazoness told her with her usual cheerfulness.

"Tione and I." I corrected her but was ignored by the young Amazoness as always.

"We even invite Kuro-kun to go into the Dungeon with us one time and it was fun. We weren't able to go as deep as we'd like since Kuro-kun is only a level one but even so, he manage to hold his own even when the monsters are stronger than what he's used to."

Ah yes, I remember that time quite well. I bumped into the two Amazoness one day at the entrance to the Dungeon long before Naaza joined in and we had a little chat there. Somehow, said small chat evolved into Tiona asking if I wanted to join them in hunting for magic stones.

Being someone who is in need of money, I accepted her offer happily. And boy was it was the easiest money I've ever made. I don't even have to fight at all. I didn't even have the chance to raise my sword before the Amazoness massacred everything in view. I was left with nothing to do except staring at them dumbly and thinking how bullshit Falna is. I think those two tiny girls are more lethal an entire platoon of normal soldiers combined.

We didn't go too deep into the Dungeon because I was woefully unprepared to tackle on the challenges there so the Amazon sisters had to make do with staying on the 11th floor with me.

I suggested that they could just leave me behind at a higher floor so they could move on without me holding them back but they didn't. We ended up spending the day there after that. All I've done while traveling with them is picking up all the loot they left behind in their destructive wake.

At the end of the day, they gave me about 50% of the total profit earned, which is a lot more than I asked for since I didn't do anything. I tried refusing that much but Tiona wouldn't let me take any less and is adamant in making me take it.

I had a sinking suspicion that a certain perpetually angry mutt had something to do with that. Bastard must've let slip to them that my Familia is in a financially precarious situation as payback for making Tiona pat him like a dog. Though they didn't say it, I have a feeling that it was their way of paying me back for introducing them to Loki's Familia.

In the end, I earned way more than I ever could in a week in just a few hours. It's also the reason why I had the extra money to go to the Training Hall with Naaza in the first place.

"You're giving me too much credit Crazy girl, all I did was watch while you two did all the work. Speaking of which, where's Angry girl? She's not with you today? I never thought you'd ever leave your sister's side since you two are always seen together." I asked her as I look around for any trace of her sister.

"I can do things on my own too you know. It's not like we have to always be together just because we're twins. As for where sis is, she is busy trying to get the captain to give her his babies right now."

I didn't show it but I'm very disturbed by what she'd just said, even more so when she'd said it with such a perfectly straight face like it's something perfectly normal to consider. Aren't they like, twelve right now? Looking at Syr, I think she's also surprised by Tiona's words judging by how shocked she looked and the blush on her face. "So what are you doing here anyway?" I asked Tiona in an attempt to change the subject.

"Oh, I'm just exploring the place because I have nothing better to do right now. I could go into the Dungeon to pass the time but I've been doing that for days now so I'm looking for something new to do instead. It's my first time here so I might've gotten an itsy bitsy lost while I was wandering around. I was getting worried that I might have to spent the night here so spotting you was actually a huge relief for me." She informs me with a sheepish laugh. "Who knew this place would be so hard to navigate, it's almost like it's a maze."

"There's literally a sign at the entrance warning you about it." I pointed out.

"I wasn't pay attention okay." Tiona quickly defends herself with a pout. "And what about you two? What are you two doing here?"

"Well, we're on our way towards the Orphanage in the area to lend a helping hand, and maybe play with the kids a little bit."

"Ooo, sounds interesting. Can I join?" Tiona asked eagerly while hopping on her spot like an excited child. Somehow, I have a feeling that Tiona would get along just fine with the kids there. So long as she keep her strength under control that is.

"That sounds lovely, we would be glad to have you with us." Syr replied while I shrugged, not really minding if she tagged along or not.

"Great! So, where is it?" Tiona asked.

I simply responded by pointing at the church that's like, ten feet away.

"Oh wow. We're there already! Race you there!" Tiona said before taking off like the child that she is.

"Erm," Syr spoke up, drawing my attention as I watch a brown blur take off. "I've been wanting to ask this for a while now but why do you call her Crazy girl, Cain-san?"

"Well, I gave her that nickname because that's how she is when she's fighting. She was laughing and smiling like a madwoman as she pounds monsters into dust, hence the reason why I'm calling her crazy girl." I replied. As for her sister though, she gets angry a lot hence the name Angry girl. But I noticed that she gets a lot stronger because of it so I suspect that it's some kind of skill that she has that grants her a boost based on how angry she is.

"Don't you think calling a lady 'crazy girl' is a bit mean?"

"It's a term of endearment." I shrugged. Honestly, who doesn't love having a miniature psychopath around? They're great for clearing rooms and distracting enemies. "Besides, Tiona seem to like it."

"Uh huh...so why is she calling you Kuro-kun?" Syr asked.

I simply gesture at what I'm wearing.

"Oh." Syr let out in realization as she took note of all the black that I'm wearing. "That makes sense. Now that you've brought it to my attention, you really need to get new clothes Cain-san. Simple black outfits are all I ever saw you in."

I rolled my eyes before I lead her towards the orphanage "Come on, Syr, we best get there before Tiona terrorized everyone."

**-0-**

After the chores were done, it came time for the most frightening of tasks bestowed upon me: playing with the kids. The game of the day is catching the Villain, and that role was forced upon none other than yours truly.

But since it's me that we're talking about here, there's no chance in hell that I'm playing fairly.

And so it is that I stood smugly on top of a branch on the very large tree at the orphanage while the kids were stuck below, unable to climb up due to their short limbs. I leisurely glance at the hourglass that's placed on top of a rock to check the time, knowing full well that the kids can't get to me. The hourglass acts as a timer for little our game and the remaining sand in the top is slowly trickling down towards the bottom. It would seem that in a minute, their time to capture me will run out. Safe to say that victory is mine.

Being the villain that I am, I naturally took the time to gloat at them as per villain tradition when they're about to win. Sure it sounds stupid but villain tradition dictates that I do so, so I did.

"Gentlemen," I call out to the pack of unhappy kids below me "You will always remember this as the day you almost caught Captain Ca-"

"HIYA!" A cry suddenly echoed from behind me a I found myself being tackled off the tree by a petite Amazoness shaped missile.

I landed onto the ground like a limp dishrag and the children didn't miss their chance and proceed to dogpile me, shouting happily as I was crush underneath their weight.

"Match over! Winners: The Heroes!" Syr announced from the side and the kids whooped and cheered.

When I was finally freed from the mountain of children and sat back up, I saw that they all ran towards Tiona to thank her for her assistant. They were all cheering happily and jumping in excitement together.

As I had expected, Tiona was instantly welcomed among the kids due to how close they are in age. She's also very popular due to the fact that she someone from Loki Familia and I was left in the dust as they all prefer her over me now.

No, I'm definitely not pouting at the sight.

"Aww, don't worry Cain-san. It's just a phase. They'll come back to you once they got over Tiona-san." Syr consoled me while patting me on the head like how I would with the kids.

Fina trotted over from and proceed to hug me from the side as well. She reach my for my head and copied what Syr is doing. "There, there Cain-nii. We still luv you." The 5 year old said consolingly.

Here I am, an old man in the body of a teen, getting my head patted by two little girls. The old me would probably have conniptions if he learned of what he would eventually become.

I simply smiled at Fina for her kind words but that smile of my soon died when she said her next sentence. "Ish just that Tiona-nii ish cooler."

_This brat. _I thought to myself while giving her a mock glare. Rather then crying about it, I simply wrap my arms over Fina and flop over to the ground, causing her to let out a happy squeal as we began tussling on the grass.

Naturally, I lost.

**-0-**

"Alright kids, gather around already." I said while sitting on the porch's steps.

"What's going on?" Tiona asked as she approach, leading a bundle of children with her. Fina immediately broke from the horde and approach me. Without even being asked, I simply pick her up and plop her onto my lap like always.

"Well, it's getting late and we usually end our visit with a bit of a story." Syr explained.

Tiona's eyes lit up with excitement. "I love stories!" She announced with glee.

"Great, find a spot and sit down. We'll start once everyone's properly settled." I said while Fina made herself comfortable and snuggled into my chest.

Once everyone is on their butts, I finally began. "Alrighty, so anyone know which story we left off with?" I asked the crowd.

Many raised their hands instead of shouting it out because they were raised with manners and I simply pointed at a random one.

"We just finished the story about Argonaut last time." the boy replied.

"What!? Aww man, I missed it." Tiona whined sadly.

"Ah yes. Then I guess that means we had run through almost every hero stories that exist now haven't we?" I said with a thoughtful nod.

"Does that mean there aren't any more hero stories left to tell?" Tiona asked with a rather sad look and the rest of the children began complaining about not being able to listen to any more stories about their favorite heroes.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong." I said with a smirk, silencing their complains as they look at me in confusion. "Now that you know every heroes that ever existed, I am now able to proceed to the next phase. Trust me, this is where the fun begins." I told everyone as my smirk turn into a smile.

"Allow me to tell you a story of my own. One of which takes place in this very city. This is a story of a naive teenager who unwillingly enters a magical tournament that's meant to be fought to the death. The contestants fought and kill each other all for the sake of winning an ancient relic that could grant any wishes. Best of all, each contestant will be accompanied by a great figure from history as they were summoned from death for a chance to have their unfulfilled wishes granted as well. The tournament is called, the Holy Grail War." I began, sucking in their attention like a black hole easily.

That's right. I'm totally ripping off from Fate/Stay Night. Best of all, I can actually claim to have come up with the plot myself as no one else have thought of this in this world. Mwa ha ha ha!

**-0-**

"And with no better plan available, Saber and our protagonist entered the lair of Caster, fully intending to take her out there despite knowing that they're walking into a trap." I said, eyes scanning through my audience to see just how enthralled by the story they are. Judging by how they all seem to be on the edge of their seats, I can safety say that this story is the most interesting one yet.

"Sadly, our time has ran out for the day and we'll have to continue this story next time." I finished, causing my audience to all cry out and begging for me to continue.

"No way! I wanna know what happen next!"

"Aww come on! It was just getting to the good part!"

"To think that Lancer was actually Empress Evelda!"

"Gah! How come the protagonist is so weak! He should be strong and beat up everyone easily!"

I listened to their thoughts with great attention, wanting to use what they have to say about it to further improve the plot so that they'd be satisfied with a great story.

"Alright children, it's getting late so it's time to head back inside." Syr announced while clapping her hands to get their attention, causing the kids to all groan and whine about wanting to play more.

"Now, now. If you don't hurry up, the snacks that Cain-san made will be gone." She told them while a sly smile, causing them to all spring up from their seats and dash into the building. Fina was the fastest to react when she heard the word snack and she practically pounced towards the door from my lap. Syr just giggled at how much energy they have and followed them inside.

As they left, Tiona got up and bounce over to me. "Wow! That story was awesome! You should be a writer Kuro-kun!" Tiona squealed. Out of everyone here, Tiona is the one who was the most excited as the story went on. She was also the one who managed to guess the identity of one of the Servant the quickest too.

"Nah, my writing skills are terrible. I'm more of a detailed report writing kind of guy." Gods knows I had enough practice during the war. "By the way Tiona, can I ask you a favor?"

"Hm? What is it?" She asked.

"If you managed to deduce a Servant's identity, can you keep it to yourself first? It wouldn't do to spoil it for the kids who hadn't figure it out yet and it'll be more impactful when the reveal comes." I asked of her.

Tiona had a look of realization on her face and she quickly nodded. "Okay! I'll try my best not to blurt it out." She agreed easily enough. "Can I have some of the snacks too?" She asked without any ounce of shame.

I roll my eyes at her before nodding. "Sure. I made a lot so knock yourself out." I told at Amazoness.

"Why would I want to knock myself out?" Tiona wondered in confusion.

"Seriously?" I asked her with a quirked eyebrow.

Tiona responded by smiling mischievously at me before running off the join the kids. I was confused as to what her smile meant but realization hit me soon after. "Oh you little monkey! You actually knew what they really meant all along." I shouted at her accusingly as she vanish into the church, laughing all the while.

**-0-**

"Man, today has been such a fun day." Tiona exclaimed as she walk alongside us while make our way out of Daedalus Street. Being someone who's not used to the lay of the land, it's up to us to escort her out least she remained lost in the maze forever.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself Tiona-san. The kids loves playing with you a lot you know." Syr told her.

"I love playing with them too. Maybe I'll come over again when I'm free next time. It'll be even great if Kuro-kun is around too so I can listen to the rest of his story. No offense to the other kids but that was the best part of the visit." Tiona said giddily.

"You sure do love stories huh." I said with an amused chuckle.

"Uh-huh. You can say that it's a hobby of mine. Your story was the most interesting one I've ever heard. I had no idea you can mix and match people from many different tales together and turn it into something so new and spectacular. Maybe you should give being an author a try Kuro-kun, I bet your books will sell like hotcakes."

I shook my head with a small smile. "Nah, I don't think I will. I'm busy enough as it is."

"Awww. Alright then. It's just a shame that such a great story won't available for everyone. I'm sure it'll be loved by everyone."

"Heh, judging by the kids' reception to it, I have little doubt in that. At least they get to hear it so it's not all that bad." I said as we all made our way out of the maze.

Little did i know that Fina would later grow up to be one the top 5 famous writers in the world by using the stories that I've told her as inspiration as well ideas for her own stories.

**-0-**

**Story #6: "IT"**

**-0-**

When I entered the Hostess of Fertility today, I wasn't expecting to be pounce by someone immediately after I open the door. My first instinct was to push them away to prevent them from getting a hold onto me and to create some distance. Before I could however, I found myself being wrapped tightly, arms pinned to my sides as they were way too fast for me to even react in time.

A flash of worry wash over me but that was gone when I realized just who it was that had wrapped themselves around me.

"Nyaaaaa! Cainya! You're finally here nya!" Anya cried out in absolute terror, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She was latched onto me by wrapping her legs and arms around me to keep herself from touching the ground.

"Er…." I let out dumbly as I tried processing what's going on. While I was busy trying to figure out what brought about Anya's sudden clinginess, I turn my gaze into the building. I was surprised to see the four other waitresses there as well and they were all looking at me with hopeful looks. There was also a grim air around them but it's slowly dissipating and being replaced by one full of hope. It's as though they were facing a very dire and hopeless situation just before I entered the building and upon seeing me, hope had returned to them.

"Okay, I'm almost afraid to ask but….what's going on?"

"Cain-san! You need to help us! You're immune to 'it' aren't you? Please, save us from 'it'!" Syr pleaded with tearful eyes, trying her best to invoke my desire to protect cute things by making herself as adorable looking as possible.

To counter that, I immediately look upwards to the ceiling. "It?" I asked, wondering just why we are playing the pronoun game when she can just tell me what 'it' is directly.

"Yes, 'it'." Lunoire muttered with a worried expression while Chole and Anya shivered by the mere mention of 'it'. I quirked an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation of just what 'it' is but none ever came as the girls only continue to look towards me in hopes that I would help them.

It looks like they're not going to explain just what 'it' is. I can only hope that it's not a clown hiding in the sewers. Still, if this 'it' is something that could render level 4's so powerless against it then I doubt I could actually stand a chance.

"Right….can I at least know what I'm dealing with before you girls sent me off to die?" I asked with a deadpan.

"You'll be fine Cain-san. You've dealt with them plenty of times before after all, that's why you're the best person for the job." Syr told me, causing me to frown thoughtfully as I try to think of a situation in the past where the girls were practically useless and I'm the only one who can do something about it.

Then, it dawned on me. I couldn't help but smirk as I figured out just what had gotten them into such a state. Ah, so that's what gotten the girls all so worked up. Even as overpowered as they are, at the end of the day they're still girls at heart. "Oh, so it's just a roa-"

"Don't say it's name nya! You just might summon it nya!" Chloe cried out in a panic, head darting from left to right searchingly as though 'it' just might come flying out of nowhere.

"Oh come on, it's just an insect." I said with a roll of my eyes.

"It's not just an insect nya! It's a horror beyond imagination forge from the very depths of hell itself nya. It was so terrifying that even Ryuu went 'Kyaa!' when it flew by her nya!" Anya said tearfully while still clinging onto me.

"Anya!" Said elf hissed the catgirl's name out with a glare, face glowing red with embarrassment. I couldn't help but laugh inwardly at how silly everyone's being because of a single roach.

Seeing that they're still waiting for my answer on whether or not I would agree to help, I realize that there's only one thing left for me to do. I gently pluck Anya off me and set her onto the ground. Everyone was looking at me with eyes full of hope, waiting for me to save them from the dreaded beast.

"Well, best of luck to you girls." I said and immediately turn around and tired to walk away, surprising all of the girls there.

Being the closest, Anya was quick to latch onto my leg to prevent me from leaving. "Where are you going nya!? Why are you leaving us with this beast nya!?" She wailed out the question on everyone's mind.

"Because it's funny." I replied with a deadpan.

"You're going to leave us to fend for ourselves because you think it's funny!?" Syr said with a gasp, aghast at my cruelty.

"Evil!" Lunoire cried out.

"Monster nya!" Chloe said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't hear you girls over the fact that you've made me wore a dress."

"You're still mad about that nya? It happened like, ages ago nya." Anya said.

"Indeed. And I have yet to return the favor, so this shall be my revenge." I told them while giving off my best evil villain laugh.

"Noooooo! I'm sorry for making you do that Cainya. Please, forgive me and save us from that foul beast nya!" Anya begged while refusing to let go of my leg.

Figuring that this should be enough torture, I decided to stop messing around and actually help them out. It's totally not because they can kick my ass and make me do it anyway if I don't. "Alright, alright. Stop being so dramatic and calm down already." I said with a roll of my eyes. "So just where did you girl spot 'it'?"

All hands points towards the basement.

And thus, I began dutifully descending into the dark and cold basement in order to find this dreaded beast. I'll have to search the entire parameter, going through all the stuff stored in there just so I can find a single tiny cockroach and then exterminate it. I can already tell it's going to be a chore.

Ah, the sacrifices I make for the people I care about.

**-0-**

**Story #7: Behold! Presents!**

**-0-**

It's Christmas!

No, wait. It's actually called the Holy Winter Festival here (Also called Christmas by some others) but who cares? The entire thing it's basically just Christmas with a different name.

The Festival happens once a year and it'll lasts for an entire week. During this time, people from all over the world would come to Orario to partake in the festivites that will be held within the city. As for why this is even a thing in the first place, I guess everyone is celebrating the fact that they managed to live till the end of the year or something, probably. I'll be honest and say that I've never actually ever paid any attention as to how or why this festival came to be. I've always just assumed that the Gods just rip the concept off from somewhere and no one questioned it.

While the festival is going on, people would go about celebrating with their friends and families, enjoying joyous occasions together. Stalls would be set up on parts of the city with high foot traffic, using the chance to earn a tons of money from foreigners by selling things at a ripoff price. Couples would use this chance to go on a romantic dates. People who were working their ass off the entire year could actually take this chance to unwind and have fun for once.

What's more is that there will be a big tree in the middle of the city that'll be decorated to the point where it'll give people epileptic seizures.

And the most important part of the entire thing is non other than, you've guessed it, the presents! The best part about this festival is that you can give people or receive presents from them, which also brings us to the present, pun intended.

"Naaza, wake up. It's morning already. It's the first day of the Holy Winter Festival so best start the day off bright and early in order to squeeze in as much time as possible." I told my little sister while gently nudging her sleeping form.

"Noooooo." She cried out sleepily. "Too cold. Don't wanna." She mumbled.

I tired getting her to wake up a couple more times but I've reached the conclusion that she's just not going to after the sixth try. I have a feeling that Naaza might actually hibernate through winter if I let her.

Seeing no other choice, I proceed to wrap her around with her blanket like a burrito and carry her downstairs that way.

**-0-**

After breakfast, I told my Familia to wait at the table for a bit so they don't run off to do their own thing while I clear the table. Once that's done, I proceed to summon out two boxes that's neatly wrapped with colorful wrapping and a red ribbon and handed it to them.

Miach was very appreciative of my gift and he accepted it with a smile. Naaza just looked confused at the present she was suddenly presented but she eventually remembered what day today is and accepted hers.

"Since you're already giving out presents, I've got something for you two as well. I'll go get them right now." Miach said before getting up from his seat and walking off, leaving the two of us alone for the time being,

"I'm the only one who didn't prepare anything." Naaza mumbled sadly as she stared at the box in her hand.

"Don't feel bad Naaza-chan, it's only the first day of the festival after all. You've got a whole week to get something for us." I told her.

"Ah. You're right." Naaza nodded, smiling slightly now that she realize that she still has her chance.

"So, are you going to open it?" I asked, nodding at the present in her hands.

"I think I'll wait for Miach-sama so we can open them together." She said.

And so we waited….for about a minute as Miach returned with presents in his hands. One of us each.

"Well then, let's open our presents." Miach said once everyone received theirs and we all got to ripping open to see what's inside ours.

I received the most common gifts of all, a pair of socks. It's perfect. My other ones are all stained with blood already so it's about time I got to replacing them.

Naaza lifted up a clearly poorly made scarf that's dark red in color in one hand and a pair of warm looking brown gloves on the other.

Miach got himself a dark blue scarf that looked just as poorly made as Naaza's.

"Oh my. This is a wonderful gift Cain-kun. Thank you." Miach said happily as he wrap the scarf around his neck.

"Thanks for the gifts." Naaza said happily. "But where did you buy these scarfs Nii-san? They look so ugly. You didn't get ripped off did you?" Naaza asked with a concern frown as she examine the scarf. True enough, the scarfs that I've given to my Familia looked like they were dug up from a trash bin. They had small holes in them and their ends were completely frayed.

"Well sorry for having poor knitting skills. I've only just started learning recently you know." I said with while feigning an annoyed huff. As for when I did, it was right after I learned how to sew properly, Syr suggested that we take it up a notch and try knitting as well. She claimed that it would be an interesting experience for her as well as she had never done it before so we could both learn at the same time. Seeing that there's nothing for me to lose, I agreed.

The reason why the scarfs are so hideous is because of two factors. My lack of skill, and the lack of time. It's more of a rush job because it's near Christmas when I started and I barely finished both of them in time. It could've been a lot better had I started this project way earlier.

"Wait, it's hand made?" Naaza exclaimed in surprise as she return her gaze to the scarf with an awed expression, as if she's looking that the scarf in her hand in a new light.

"Well, yeah. I though it'd be a great idea but this is the best I can make at my current level. If you really don't want it then give it back, I'll see if I can get something else for you."

"No!" Naaza immediately shouted, shaking her head frantically and hugging the scarf to her chest. "I want it."

"Really?"

"Mn." She nodded and wrapped the scarf around her neck with a small blush. "I love it."

"That's great." I said with a smile. "Now that this is over with, I just need to deliver the rest of my presents to everyone else." I told them while getting up from my seat.

"Huh? You're leaving already?" Naaza asked me.

"Yep. Lots of people to met, lots of boxes to throw at their faces." I said with a grin. I've already snuck into the orphanage last night and left the kids their presents by their bedside. They're probably all excitedly playing with their new toys right about now. Now I just need to hunt down everyone else that I consider to be friends.

"How many people do you intent to give presents to?" She asked curiously.

"I'm giving them to basically everyone that I bothered to remember the names of. Which, to be honest, is not a lot." I said to her.

"That's surprising, especially since I've been with you since I was born. I didn't think that you would be the giving type Nii-san." Naaza commented, looking at me weirdly.

"Ha! You think I'm giving them stuff from the goodness of my heart?" I grinned.

"Wait, so they're not actually presents?" Naaza asked with a confused tilt of her head.

"Oh, they are. But instead of giving things that people want or can make use of, I'm giving them things that were specifically chosen to annoy them." I replied with a dastardly smile. "Anya is getting a cat toy while Bete is getting a collar with a name tag that had the words 'Mutt' written on it, and so on and so forth." I told her with a grin, though I have a feeling that Anya would like the cat toy instead.

Naaza let out an amused snort upon hearing what I had said but she suddenly gained a thoughtful look. Then, her expression morphed into one of surprise and terror. "Nii-san! Don't you know that giving a collar to beast people is basically a marriage proposal!?"

The smile that I had was immediately knocked off my face. "Wait, seriously!?" I cried out, flabbergasted. Oh shit, I didn't know that. I thought it would be a funny prank to pull on Bete, but if what Naaza said is true then I really need a change of plans.

"Snrk." Just as I was panickingly thinking of another gift for Bete because I don't fancy proposing to him of all people, I heard a strange sound coming from the table. I look over and find Naaza trying her best to contain her laughter while Miach had an amused smile on his face.

"Oh, you little brat. That's not true is it?" I accused, earning a smirk from my little sister.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't." She replied coyly.

"Grrrrr. Well, don't be surprise if I return with the news that I'm suddenly engaged." I huffed, causing Naaza to burst out laughing while Miach just chuckle at my words. "Anyway, I best get moving. I'll be back as soon as I can so we can spent the day together at the festival!" I said as I ran off, intending to hunt everyone down and launch presents into their faces. Well, at least to ones who are Adventurers. People like Misha and Eina will just find theirs mysteriously appearing before them when they weren't looking.

**-0-**

**Story #8: An Adventurer's Life**

**-0-**

"David, dig your shield into the ground at a 45 degree angle. Sarah, fireball, start chanting." I ordered, taking a step to the side as an orc swung it's stone like mace at me.

The mace misses my body by a few inches and smashed into the ground with a resounding bang, creating small fissures from the point of impact.

"Got it!" David shouted and did as I told while Sarah started chanting in lieu of an answer.

Before the Orc can reel it's arm back, I summon a spear and thrust it upwards at the green creature. The spear tip struck dead center in between it's eyes and it drop onto the ground with a large, meaty thud.

With my opponent dealt with, I dismiss the spear and spun around to check on how the others are faring.

I did so just in time to see a large ball collide into David's shield. Because of the shield's angle, the ball was sent carting straight into the air as it ran into the makeshift ramp.

As it was soaring, the ball seem to unfold itself, revealing to be an armadillo like monster. It was panicking as it move it's limbs frantically in hopes of grabbing something to stop itself from flying. But alas, there was nothing for it to grab and it remained completely defenseless and helpless while it was in the air.

Sarah took this chance to launch her fireball towards the armadillo. Her spell struck true, setting the armadillo ablaze. When it hit the floor, it was already dead, it's internal organs all cooked from the intense heat of Sarah's spell.

Maris was busy keeping a bunch of Imps occupied, using her superior speed to run around them and killing them when she had the chance. With her keeping most of the attention on herself for the moment, it leaves Naaza and Sarah free to pick them off at a distance without having to worry about being attacked. For the time being anyway.

Once I'm certain that everyone's fine, I went back to slaying any monsters that spotted Naaza and Sarah to keep them safe. Of course, that task is a bit harder than usual seeing that this entire floor is covered in a very dense mist.

My ear twitched slightly when I heard another orc roar from somewhere within the mist. I went to dispatch it can become a problem, trusting everyone else to be able to keep themselves safe without me looking over them for the time being.

As for where we are, we're currently busy fighting monsters at the 12th floor.

Maris's party and mine had decided to team up occasionally after the first time. Which is why we're working together to tackle this floor right now.

There's actually no real promise to meet up between our parties. We usually just team up if we ever encounter each other in the Dungeon or on our way there. With two range support, a tank and two front line attackers, our journey of going deeper into the Dungeon went a lot smoother than normal. It's a great arrangement that benefited both our parties as we can get more things done in the Dungeon when working together, not to mention that it's safer too.

We don't do it all the time since there are times where both our parties have different goals for the day, like going to different floors or something. Sometimes we just went our own way even if we do meet up or only join up and then part ways when we reach our goal.

Today would be our first time entering the 12th floor. We went in expecting hordes of monsters to fight and we were right. Thankfully, they weren't much of a threat as we are more than prepared to take them on. It helps that they're pretty much the same monsters as the previous two floors too. The only thing that's actually causing a problem for us is that this blasted mist is making things harder than it should be.

From the 10th to 12th Floor of the Dungeon, the Dungeon seem to produce some kind of mist blanketing the area. On floor 12, the mist is at it's thickest so it's a completely different experience from the last two floors. We could actually see monsters from afar or make out silhouettes back there but here, we can only see them once they're close enough and have to rely on Naaza and Sarah's ears to spot incoming monsters hiding in the mist.

The monster variants available are annoying to deal with too but at least they're simple and stupid.

I hear that the spawn rate of monsters increases exceptionally starting in floor 13 too, so we'll have that to deal with once we finally enter that floor. At least the mist would be gone on that floor so there's some silver lining there. There's really not much point in thinking about it now since we won't be going there yet. We need to have at least a level 2 or a high end level 1 in our party if we want to traverse that floor safely.

"Nii-san! I can hear a Silverback coming! Bearing 135!" Naaza shouted out.

I click my tongue before pulling out my sword from an Orc's head and hopping off it's shoulder. "David, Silverback incoming at your four o'clock. Intercept and aggro." I said as I landed. "Maris, break off and assist David. Attack from behind. Sarah and Naaza, deal with the imps that Maris is fighting. Don't let them interfere." I continued while starting to make my way towards David to help.

Silverbacks are very strong and can deal a lot of damage to us if we left it alive for too long. For monsters like that, it's best to deal with them quick before it could weaken us. Since it's also tough with it's hard muscles, the quickest way to dispatch it is for the attackers focus on it until it dies before returning to deal with the smaller monsters.

David move to where the Silverback is coming. Maris broke off from the group of Imps that she was fighting to run towards where David is. The monsters made chase but were pick off by Naaza's arrows and Sarah's spells.

David stood and brace himself against the ground just as a large Silverback emerge from the mist and rush towards him with a roar.

Maris and I both reached David just as he raise his shield towards the ape like monster. The monster reached him moments before we did and sent it's fist forward. It's fist connected with his shield and David let out a strained grunt as his feet was dragged along the ground from the force. But being someone with relatively high strength and endurance, he managed to stay on his feet and take the attack like a champ.

While David had drawn the Silverback's attention to himself, Maris stepped onto David's back and launch herself off him to leap over the ape. While that was happening, I move past David and slide underneath the outstretched arm of the Silverback to get within range.

Once I'm right in front of the ape, I crouched down and leap upwards, pointing my sword towards it's face. I saw the ape reacted to my sudden appearance, it tried to block my sword from hitting it's face with it's other arm. But it's arm halted dead in it's tracks when Maris slam down both her blades into it's shoulder when she vaulted over it.

The Silverback reel back in pain to let out a pained cry but that too was stopped short when my blade buried itself deep within it's skull, piercing the brain.

"Yes!" Maris let out with a cheer as the ape crumble onto the floor like a puppet with it's strings cut.

"Phew." David let out a sigh of relief that he didn't have to engage with the Silverback any longer than necessary. Even with his strength and endurance, fighting against one is still tough for him.

Hmm. Dispatched within 3 seconds of contact. Acceptable. It would be a problematic for us if it actually start fighting back. "Alright, back to positions you two. We'll finish dealing with the rest first before we start gathering the loot. Then, we can find a place to take a break." I said, causing the two to nod and quickly run back to where our range support is to keep them safe.

I watch them go before letting out a tired sigh as I heard more roars in the distance. Looks like more monsters had just noticed our presence and is heading our way.

Oh well. No rest for the wicked as they say.

**-0-**

"Alright, this should be a good spot to take a break." I said, much to my company's relief as they all let out sighs of relief at my announcement.

They started to drop to the ground near a wall to rest while I walk around with a large mace out and started hitting against the wall to break it.

A well known fact is that the Dungeon won't spawn any monsters near the area where it's walls are damaged. Adventurers would break any nearby walls when they want to take a break so they won't have to worry about being jumped as they are resting. It doesn't stop monsters from being spawn at other areas and then wandering towards where we are but at least we don't have to deal with monsters dropping straight on our heads.

It should also be said that the walls of the Dungeon are extremely tough. There's a reason why people only break them when they want to take a break after all.

Once the walls broken, I toss aside my equally broken mace and walk back to the group and found them busy taking out their lunch to eat.

"We should be fine for about 40 minutes or so before the walls are repaired. Take that time to fill your stomachs and check on your equipment. Naaza, Sarah, we'll be counting on the two of you to spot any monsters that might wander near us. The rest of us won't be able to do much when it comes to spotting monsters with the mist this thick." I said as I crouch down next to Naaza. I won't be sitting like the rest because I need to be able to get up quickly to deal with monsters if they show up.

"Mn." Naaza nodded.

"Alright, leave it to me." Sarah replied as she took a bite out of what I presume to be jerky.

I summon out two lunch boxes and handed Naaza one.

You might realize that I'm using my magic freely in front of Maris and her group now. That's because I no longer have any reservation about hiding my magic from them after working together for so long.

Not because I trust them with it or anything, but because I slipped up and let Maris saw me summoning a weapon in the heat of combat and she started questioning me about it. I tried denying it at first but she persisted in her questioning. I realized that life would be so much simpler without someone pestering me relentlessly about my magic so I decided to let them see what I can do.

But I still deny it's existence despite using it in front of them and had explained absolutely nothing about it. It annoys Maris when I do and I like being an ass.

I held my lunchbox in my hand, feeling the heat coming from inside the container. Even after so many hours, it's still as hot as when I had made it this morning. I had discovered that my magic can preserve the freshness of food when I tried storing food in there and that led me to think of two theories regarding my magic.

First theory is that my storage has a form of stasis in place and anything I put inside won't deteriorate or change by the passage of time. Or, it could just be that heat has nowhere to escape to while inside so that's why my food remained as hot as it had been when I put it in. I can't really tell since I haven't really put foodstuff in there for that long. Maybe I should try that soon.

I opened my box to reveal a neatly arranged meal that consist of rice, vegetables, meat and a rolled omelette.

Just when I was about to dig in, I noticed that Maris and her party were all looking at me. Or rather, at my lunch box.

"What?" I asked them right as Naaza started eating hers with a happy smile.

"It's not fair." Maris muttered jealously as she stare at my lunch with a hungry look.

I quirk an eyebrow at her words before I noticed what they're eating. What they have laid out were one of the few standard field rations of this world. Jerky, dehydrated fruit, bread and crackers. Compared to what Naaza and I are having right now, we might as well be eating like kings.

After seeing their selection of food, I could only offer them a shrug.

"If you want to eat better food than the standard rations you can buy at the general store, you can make them yourselves before coming here you know. You just need to wake up early to prepare." I told them.

"I know that." Maris replied with a pout. "But it's not as easy as you make it sound. If we prepare our lunch in boxes like yours then we have to carry it around in our bags. When the fighting starts, they might spill out when we get hit or get toss around inside the container so it'll be a mess when you open it. We've tried it before you know."

Oh wow, Maris actually tried that? "Huh. Maybe you should be more careful. You don't see us having that kind of problem." I replied, completely straight faced.

"That's because you're cheating with that broken magic of yours!" Maris retorted, pointing a half eaten bread stick at me.

"What magic? I have no idea what you're talking about." I smirked at her, causing her to glare at me.

She simply huffed and look away with her arms crossed. "It must be nice to have such a cute little sister who would wake up at the crack of dawn to make lunchboxes for you." Maris grumbled unhappily, sneaking glances at the food on my hand.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong." I replied.

"Huh?" Maris let out in confusion.

"Naaza didn't make these, I did. She's too busy snoring away in her bed to be able to do so." I said, causing the three of them to look at me in shock. Naaza, on the other hand, looks completely unashamed as she continue to eat.

Maris looked at me, and then down towards the food in my hands. This process repeat itself a few times before she poses a question. "Can I have a taste?" She asked with a voice filled with curiosity.

"Hey! If you're going to ask for a bite then I want some too." Sarah chipped in.

"I'd like to try some too." David said.

"What!? No. Go make your own." I said to them, cradling my food to my chest protectively.

"Please have pity on us! All we've got are these tasteless bread, jerky and dried fruit!" Maris pleaded sorrowfully, showing me her best puppy dog eyes as she quiver her lips at me.

"You're not going to stop unless I give it to you aren't you?"

The continuation of her puppy dog eye assault was her answer to my question.

I let out a defeated sigh before passing my box over so they could have a taste. "Fine, but you guys can only take one bite each." I said sternly.

Maris let out a happy whoop and quickly took my lunch from my hand while the other two cheered and crowed around Maris to get their pickings.

"You give up too easily Nii-san." Naaza commented.

"Ugh, I can't help it. She reminds me too much of another blue haired woman that I can't deal with. It's easier to just give in- Wait, you guys finished my food already!? I said only a bite damn it!"

**-0-**

Maris let out a tired but satisfying sounding sigh as we entered the guild. "Oh man, that was a tough fight." She said while rubbing her shoulder with one hand while holding onto her bag filled with loot with another. Her strap snapped on the way back when we fought some monsters so she was forced to carry her stuff by hand.

Right now it's only the two of us as the rest of our team had already split up and went home when we exited the Dungeon. Everyone was too tired to continue from our excursion and wanted to retire early so they can relax. Not that I blame them as we had pushed ourselves pretty far into the Dungeon this time.

So, being the leaders of our party, we were tasked to turn in our loot at the Guild to get today's pay.

"True." I agreed with Maris, my mind already thinking about what I can do to prepare our future trip. "We'll need to get a lot stronger first before we think about going down to floor 13."

"I'd rather that we go straight away but I see your point. It was already pretty tough back there." Maris said with a hint of concern in her voice. Looks to me like she's actually thinking seriously about getting stronger and not rushing herself and her party to test their limits. That's good. Maybe she'll actually wise up and stop being so reckless all the time.

We began to talk about the monsters we encounter as we walk, discussing how to better fight against them the next time we run into them. It didn't take long for us to reach exchange area to turn in our loot for the day and got paid for our troubles. We eventually make our way towards the receptionist area to meet with our Advisers and inform them of our return.

**-0-**

"To being able to reach the 12th floor and coming back safely, KANPAI!" Maris shouted while standing up from her seat at the table.

""Kanpai!"" Both our parties, as well as two Guild girls, shouted as well while I simply raise my glass with a small smile on my face. Of course, since we're all technically minors, we aren't allowed to drink alcohol and had to settle with fruit juice.

After we finish reporting back to our Advisers, Misha suggested the idea that I should celebrate my successful venture into the 12th floor by holding a small party together. I considered her idea to be a good once since I really don't have much to do for the evening. Some relaxing and eating good food would be a great treat for Naaza for all the hard work she had been doing. Misha looked like she could use a break from the mountain of paperwork as well so I invited her along, much to the pink haired girl's delight.

Maris overheard us and instantly insert herself and her party into the group because she wanted to have fun with everyone as well. She even went and roped Eina into joining, not that I mind. The more the merrier as they say.

We then went and collect our party and waited for Misha and Eina to get off work before we all head towards the Hostess of Fertility for our little party, bringing us to the present. I had also ordered some take away for Miach so he would have something good to eat once we get back.

And so we drank, ate and had a bit of fun as we unwind from the day of Adventuring.

Maris was telling an exaggerated version of what had happened in the Dungeon to Eina and Misha. The two guild girls were completely enthralled by Maris' tale, look at the blue haired girl with looks of awe and wonder. Sarah and Naaza were busy talking about the things that they saw in the Dungeon while David was busy stuffing his face with food.

And so it is, another day of Adventuring comes to a close. Everyone is safe and sound and we managed to earn a lot during our trip.

I took another sip of my glass, hiding a small smile behind such an act as I listen to the commotion happening around me, watching the friends that I've made enjoying themselves.

I couldn't have asked for a better ending.

**-0-**

**Story #9: The Mysteries of Potion Making**

**-0-**

"For the record, I want to say that this is a bad idea." I voice out my opinion as I look at the two girls before me.

"I agree." Naaza muttered with a concerned look on her face.

"You're the one who persuaded me to go long with this, remember?" I pointed out.

"I know, and I regret it immensely." Naaza grumbled as she cross her arms, unhappily muttering something about Amid and her underhanded bribery of chocolate chip muffins.

"Come now you two, it can't be that bad now can it?" Amid said as she put down the bag that she had brought with her and started laying ingredients on the table. Out of everyone here, she the only one who looks rather happy to be doing this. Then again, it was her idea in the first place so why wouldn't she? She was the one who said she wanted to see me make a potion out of the blue and convinced Naaza to persuade me into agreeing with her idea.

"Well, yeah. Have you forgotten what I've said before about my previous attempts?" I tried pointing out, hoping that she would see just how terrible her idea is. It also made me wonder why she even want to see me make a potion in the first place. It's not like she didn't get to see how potions are made when she's been making them since a young age.

"No." Amid replied as she turn to me, eyes shinning with pure curiosity despite having a completely calm and collected expression. "In fact, it's been nagging me in the back of my mind this entire time. Being able to make potions with strange effects while trying to create a healing potion? Completely absurd. But I can't help but feel very curious on how you managed to achieve such feat. I need to solve this mystery so I'll be able to put my mind at ease. And so, in order to do that, I need you to do your thing, Musashi-san." Amid explained while gesturing at the cauldron with a very polite smile. It's almost as though saying no is not an option here.

"Sorry, Nii-san. Amid gets like that when there's something she wants to figure out." Naaza said.

"I'm guessing that it's a regular occurrence when you two are making potions?" I took a shot in the dark.

"Yes. Sometimes an idea or a question gets stuck in her mind and it's all she can focus on until she either try it out or solve it. Sometimes it would get so bad that she gets lost in her own little world and forgets that I was with her." Naaza said exasperatedly.

"I'm not that bad." Amid muttered with a hint of redness on her cheeks.

"I see. Well, don't say that I didn't warn you. I don't take any responsibility when something bad inevitably happens." I sighed as I approach the cauldron with apprehensive steps.

"Of course, I shall pay for any damage incurred because of this experiment if it did happen." Amid quickly said, looking more attentive now as she focus her attention what I'm doing.

"Really?" I asked, wondering if I really don't have to pay for any damages if things went really wrong.

"Yes. Dian Cecht-sama has graciously given me a lot of pocket money this month. It should be enough to pay for any broken vials and lost ingredients. So please don't worry and do what comes naturally, Musashi-san. I will do my best to observe and see what went wrong."

**-0-**

"It turned yellow." Amid stated, looking at the large pot of yellow bubbling liquid with an intrigued expression.

"An astute observation." Naaza said, staring at the utterly failed potion with visible worry. She looks like she's worrying about what it would do next.

"It looks like someone pee'd in it." I commented, scooping up a bit of the potion with a ladle to get a better look.

"Thank you, Nii-san. I did not need that image." Naaza replied wryly.

"Musashi-san, you shouldn't say such things so casually in front of ladies." Amid admonished me.

"I don't see any ladies here though." I replied, earning myself some well deserved slaps on my shoulders from both girls.

"At any rate, I'm really at a lost right now." Amid said with a small sigh as she stare at liquid, her eyebrows furrowed in a thoughtful manner. "I paid close attention to every little thing you did Musashi-san. All that you've done is follow the recipe for a potion down to a T. There was no deviation in what you did, the ingredients were precisely measured and the way you mix them all together was normal. A textbook potion making attempt if I ever saw one. So how?" She put the question forth while gesturing at the cauldron.

""We don't know."" Naaza and I both answered in sync.

"Of course. If you knew than we wouldn't be doing this experiment in the first place." Amid said as she continue to ponder on the mysteries of how this had transpired.

I have no idea what she's thinking but I saw her suddenly extend her hand towards the liquid. I reacted instantly and grab her hand before she could dunk it into the cauldron. "Are you mad woman!? We don't even know what it does yet."

"Wasn't that the point? How else am I going to find out what it does?" Amid replied with a confused look.

"By not touching it with your hand obviously! What if it melts it off? It could be a pot of highly concentrated acid for all we know." I replied before letting go of her hand.

"Don't be silly. It was made with the ingredients for healing potion. It isn't possible for it to cause harm." Amid replied rather confidently.

"Have you forgotten that I had literally made acid out of a healing potion before?" I said, tapping the side of the cauldron with the ladle.

The confidence that she was showing instantly died off and her eyes widen slightly in shock as she recalled it. "Ah. Right…. I forgot about that." Amid admitted sheepishly, her face flushed slightly in embarrassment.

"Er….Nii-san?" Naaza suddenly spoke up.

"What is it?" I asked her while turning to look at her.

"I think you caused a reaction when you tap the cauldron." She said with obvious worry in her voice as she points at the giant pot behind me.

I quickly snap my head around to see what she was referring to and my eyes widen in surprise. The cauldron is currently emitting green smoke that's rapidly becoming more and more pronounce.

I quickly wrap my arm around Amid, earning a startled 'eep' from the girl and jumped back as far as I could. I made sure to land in front of Naaza deposit Amid behind me, putting the two together. The silver haired girl landed gracelessly on her rear before giving me her meanest glare for my rough treatment, which is about as terrifying as an offended kitten.

I chose to ignore her and summon the largest tower shield I have and slam it in front of me for cover. It's not much since it's made out of wood with a sheet of metal in the front but I rather have something between us and the smoking cauldron just in case it explodes.

"Alright, let's say we get out before something else happens and come back later to clean up whatever mess is left behind." I suggested, tossing a couple of throwing knifes at the windows. They broke the glass easily and opened a path for the smoke to escape to.

"R-right. Come on Amid. We need to-" That was as far as Naaza got before a burst of smoke erupted from the cauldron, large enough to saturate the entire room. When the green cloud made contact with us, I was instantly lightheaded and felt myself losing my consciousness.

I was struck with a sense of déjà vu as I heard two thuds coming from behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know that the other two had already lost conscious and is asleep.

I don't know exactly what side effects this smoke has nor if a prolonged exposure to it is dangerous or not, so it's best if I bring everyone out to safety first. I gritted my teeth and force myself to move, picking the two girls up as I went along towards the exit.

It took a great deal of effort, fighting off my drowsiness while moving two limp bodies out of the potion room but I managed to hold on until we were far away from the potion room. I think I saw Miach rushing over to check what's going on and that's when I collapse on my knee and set the girls down gently.

I only have enough awareness left in me for one final thought as Miach tried talking to me. _Did I just create Skeletor's sleeping gas? _And with that, my lights were out.

**-0-**

So, good news is that everyone is fine.

I woke up not long after falling asleep and Miach explained to me that I somehow managed to create a very rare potion used to putting people to sleep. Though I had known after feeling the effects for myself. I was worried that the smoke did more than just put people to sleep but Miach told me it's fine as it's only made to knock people out and nothing more.

Bad news is that Amid is still insistent on trying to figure out why the potions I make keeps coming out wrong. Somehow, even after experiencing an event like that, she still wants to try again. You would think that she'll learn that it's a bad idea for me to make potions after that but nope, she now wants to try out even more things with me. Things like what would happen if I try making a different type of potion.

I can only shudder at the thought.

I think seeing me make a weird potion first hand got her very interested in me. Interested in a way where I'm a test subject and she wants to poke me with various needles to see how I tick and perform many experiments with me. Or rather, on me.

Naaza only offer me her condolences for incurring Amid's curiosity and offered no help at all to get me out of it.

I would've decline making any more but Amid made a very persuasive offer to keep me on board and I accepted despite the logical part of my mind screaming not to. As for what the offer is….I'll keep silent on that front.

So I guess I'll be making more potions with Amid for the foreseeable future.

I can only hope that I don't accidentally summon Cthulhu one day.

**-0-**

**Story #10: Valentine?**

**-0-**

I look at the small box my hand with slight confusion. It was wrapped neatly in a colorful wrapping and it even have a neat ribbon tied to it. I look away from the box and towards the one who gave it to me. Ryuu stood before me, her expression the same old stoic look as always.

I was on my way home after going shopping but was stopped by Ryuu when she spotted me walking pass the pub. She then proceed to tell me to wait and then run back inside. Then she pop back out to give me this box. Needless to say, I was confused by the suddenness of everything and wondered what's up.

"Thanks?" I said with a bit of confusion in my voice. "But what's the occasion? I don't think it's my birthday yet."

"No. It's a valentine gift. I heard that chocolate was the go to for the occasion so I tried my hand at making some for you." She replied. "It's...my first time trying to make something like this so I hope it turned out alright." She said, looking a bit unsure of herself.

_Valentine? Ah, so it's that time of the year again. _I mused with a thoughtful nod before freezing as I realize the implication of receiving such a gift.

Then I remembered that this is Ryuu that we're talking about here and I relaxed. She's someone who's a bit sheltered when it comes to things like these so she probably doesn't know the real meaning of Valentine. Even if she does then this is very likely obligatory chocolate that she's giving out to people.

Now I'm just worried that the chocolate is uneatable because she might be taking lessons from Syr on how to cook. There's a reason why Syr can't use the kitchen unless she's supervised by either me or Mia.

"You do know what valentine is right?" I asked Ryuu curiously.

My question seem to have hit a sore spot as Ryuu frowned slightly at me. "Of course. I'm not that ignorant about the world Musashi-san." She replied.

"I recall someone not knowing what the Holy Winter Festival is actually about despite having lived in Orario for a few years already." I pointed out, causing the elf to blush slightly.

"T-that was different." She shuttered. "My Familia was often busy so we never had the chance to celebrate it."

"Uh-huh. I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say that you've never celebrated valentine before either, am I right?"

Ryuu looked like she wanted to deny it but eventually realize that it's pointless and reluctantly nodded. "You're right. I've heard about it before but I never paid much attention to what it actually entails. Anya was the one who told me what people do during this day."

"I see. And what exactly did Anya told you about Valentine?" I asked, with an uneasy feeling in my gut. I mean, it's Anya. My unease is easily justified.

"Not much I'm afraid. Anya told that it's a day to give people chocolates for giving thanks and showing appreciation to people important to you. You have helped me with so much ever since we've met. I wouldn't be able improve so much and so quickly in my duty without you. So, please accept that gift as a heartfelt expression of my gratitude." Ryuu told me with the faintest hint of a smile on her face.

When she put it that way I can't really not accept it despite the fear of food poisoning. I'm also not surprise that Anya didn't fully explain what Valentine is. Oh well, no need to make things awkward by telling Ryuu just what Valentine actually is.

"Then I shall graciously accept it." I replied with a small smile of my own. "I'm guessing that you've given Syr some as well?"

"Not yet. But I'm plan to. I just need to wait for her to return first."

"She ran off again didn't she?" I asked wryly. Today is suppose to be a workday for Syr but since she's not around, the only logical conclusion is that she went off to do her own thing without informing anyone...again.

Ryuu just sighed without saying anything, confirming my suspicion.

I could only offer her a sympathetic smile in return. "Well, I should get going. Thanks again for the chocolate Lyon-san. Bye, and look after Syr for me. That girl just does whatever she wants, I swear I'll turn white before I even reach my twenties." I said to her before taking my leave, now with an extra small box in hand.

Hmmm…..Valentine huh? Maybe I should make some chocolate of my own for the occasion. I know that the kids would appreciate being presented with a bunch of sugary treats.

With that in mind, I make my way towards the nearest shop that sells them.

Later on, interactions with Ryuu became a bit awkward afterwards once she learn what Valentine really is from Syr. Her irritation towards Anya also increase exponentially.

But everything was all good as we managed to work things out in the end. We even ended up talking about how she can get revenge on Anya over my leftover chocolates and some tea. Needless to say, we had a very interesting chat together.

**-0-**

**Story #11: Beneficial partnership (at the cost of Coffee)**

**-0-**

"Ho~" I let out as I check out the room that I've just entered.

The walls were lined with various types of weapons and there were crates being stacked together at the end that's undoubtedly filled with useful items.

It would seem that I've stumbled upon some kind of armory.

"So this is where they're storing their weapons. It would be a shame if they were to somehow... disappear." I said with a smirk as I proceed into the room.

**-0-**

"The weapons! The weapons!? Where are the weapons!?" I heard someone scream out loudly but that was soon drown out by a loud commotion that was happening below me.

The sound of screams and fighting echo loudly within the building as Ganesha Familia made their assault. They struck hard and fast, leaving the Evilus members no chance to collect their bearings and fight back. They were completely unprepared, believing themselves to be safe and hidden here. Their screams of terror as Ganesha Familia decide to proof them wrong was music to my ears.

And just like always, I'm searching the place for any clues as to where I can find more of those cockroaches lurking around. Right now I'm in some kind of study, ruffling through various texts in effort to find something worthwhile as Ganesha Familia keeps Evilus members busy. It's risky but it's better than trying to go through all their stuff while they're not under attack. At least I have a very good distraction while they're being raided.

I've been very busy helping Ganesha Familia track down every base I can feasibly find and sending the information to them. I've also been pilfering every Evilus base I came across so I actually very well off now. Let's just say that paying off our Familia's debt looks ever so closer than before.

"Hm…." I let out as I shuffle through the bunch of letters and documents spread out in front of the table before me. It's currently the dead of night and the small candle beside me is the only source of illumination in this room. It was just enough for me to read while the rest of the room was completely in the dark.

"Nghhh…." There was a groan coming from my feet and I shift my eyes away to check below me. There I spotted a guy laying unconscious next to me. There was no need to kill him since he hasn't done anything that warrant his life yet. If anything, he was more or less forced help Evilus after they barge into his home and threaten to kill him if he tried to rat them out. Ganesha Familia will deal with him and will probably help him out once they learn of his story.

I kind of had to knock him out because I don't want him to panic and shout if he spots me.

"Freeze! Whoever you are, stop moving and surrender." The door was forced open and a woman's voice shouted out into the room.

I had to force myself to remain in place instead of instinctively turning around and throwing a knife at the voice. Damn. I thought I had more time. Did I severely overestimate these Evilus goons? Honestly, they're getting more and more laughable each time I see them. Then again, all their important and high rank members are gone so maybe that's why their quality is so bad.

I slowly head my head around and curse inwardly at my luck.

Out of everyone who could've found me here, it just had to be Shakti.

Great, now I need to figure out how to distract her until I can find a way to escape.

**-0-**

"Freeze! Whoever you are, stop moving and surrender." Shakti shouted as she force open the door.

She was busy securing the rest of the building with her Familia when she thought she heard some kind of sound coming from this room. It almost sounded like someone moaning in pain.

That was enough to prompt her to move over and investigate, thinking that they could be more of Evilus' members here.

When she look into the room, she discovered that she could barely see anything.

It was dark, unnaturally so.

The darkness made her very wary. A level 5's senses isn't something to scoff at. For her, she should be able to look into a dark room like this as though it was day. And yet she's having trouble seeing things here. The darkness looks to her like it's almost alive, breathing, undulating like a mass of tendrils. It would've encompass the entire room but it didn't. There was a candle on the desk that was lit, and the darkness refuses to go near the only source of light in this room, reeling back from it as though it was scorched.

It was within that small glow of light did she spot two figures there. It appears that she was right about there being someone inside. But whoever they are, they don't seem like they're from Evilus. She wondered if they're responsible for this unnatural dark she had found herself in. There was a faint feeling that she had, like she had experienced this kind of thing before but she couldn't quite put a finger on it yet. But for now, she chose to put it aside and focus on the more immediate problem. Mainly the two people that she had spotted.

One person seem to be on the ground, completely unmoving. Another was standing in front of a desk with their back towards her. They were wearing some kind of coat with a hood that hid most of their figure from view. Insatntly, she was hit with the feeling of familiarity again, only this time, it felt much older, like she had seen this person somewhere before long ago.

Before she could think further, the hooded figure slowly turn their head around and look at her and she tighten her hold on her spear, wondering if they're going to attack.

Instead of doing anything aggressive, the hooded figure simply turn back their attention back to the desk, shifting through the papers on it with an almost casual air.

Is she...is she being dismissed?

This is a rather new experience. She had never been disregarded like this before. It's almost as though that person doesn't consider her a threat.

"You there! Stop what you're doing and put your hands above your head." She ordered as she stepped inside, her eyes glancing towards the male on the ground to check his condition. He's alive, if the rising and falling of his chest is any indication. There didn't seem to be any wounds on him so he's likely just unconscious. She'll need to get in close to check to make sure though.

"Hmm….I'm afraid that I'll have to refuse." A deep gravelly voice that can only come from an adult male replied.

Shakti wondered if she's going to have to subdue this person after all. "And why's that?" She asked cautiously, wondering if she's walking into some sort of trap. She scanned the area but it's hard to make anything out in the darkness.

"I have places to be you see. People to tail and Evilus bases to discover. If you were to try and arrest me now, the best you would accomplish is some minor inconvenience for me. And I might not be so willing to hand over information like I had before." The figure said, his back still facing towards her.

What he said cause something to click within Shakti's mind. "It was you. You were the one who had been supplying us with information." So this was their mysterious informant that they had been trying to find all this time. There has been many question about him flying around in her Familia, things like who was he, and why is he helping them?

Now that he's here before her, she might get some answers for herself.

"Indeed." He replied and Shakti saw him stuffing a bunch of papers underneath his coat.

"Then I must give my thanks. With your aid, things had gone a lot smoother than they could've been. But I must still ask you to come with us. There are a lot of things we need to talk about and it's about time we sit down and have a conversation. Maybe we could come to an agreement or some sort of partnership."

"I'm afraid that I cannot. But I will however, allow you one question. I will answer it as truthfully as I can." He said as he raise a single finger out.

"What?" Shakti uttered out.

"My time is limited, Ankusha. One question. That's all you have. Are you certain you want to waste it on asking what I meant?" He said to her. She swore she could almost hear his amusement in his voice.

"N-no! I'm sorry, it was just so sudden." She said, furrowing her brows in thought.

So he plans on leaving, to do what she doesn't know. She could most likely stop him from doing so but that might worsen their relation and stop him from aiding them. His help has been very valuable for their operations. Ever since he started aiding them, they have been catching elusive members of Evilus like fish in a barrel; whereas before it took months to track even a single person down. It's best if they leave him be to do his own thing than risk alienating him.

But still, she couldn't help but worry that he's planning something. She had felt like he was using them to get rid of Evilus so maybe what he had in mind requires Evilus to be out of the picture.

If that's the case then maybe she could ask him that now. Even if he did lie to her, she would at least get a sense of what he's trying to accomplish.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping us?" She asked him.

The figure let out a long hum as she waited for her answer. "That would be because your Familia are one of the few left who would do the right thing. That makes you reliable when it comes to fighting against the evils that lurk in this world."

That's it? He was helping them because they're trying to do good? If so then why hadn't he did anything years ago? Why start now?

"Oh. And also because Evilus are popping up all over my territory so I needed someone to clean house for me."

She felt her eye twitch at the blatant admittance that he was just using them.

"Then will you continue to help us even after Evilus is gone?" She asked.

"That would be another question. But I'm a generous man so I'll allow it." He replied with an amused sounding snort.

"This is serious. I need to know if I can trust you." Shakti replied.

The man then let out a sigh as his head drooped. "You know, I stood by and only watched back then, back when Evilus was nothing more than a nuisance. They had just started out you see, not much to their name other than a few attacks in broad daylight." Shakti watch as he place his hands on the table and lean against it, his entire figure hunched tiredly as though the weigh of the world was placed upon his shoulders. "I thought them mad, thought that they wouldn't be able get far with their insane goal. But even after knowing who they are and what their intentions towards the world is, I didn't do anything. Hoped that I didn't need to, that others would be competent enough to deal with them. I had thought that someone else would've done something already and stomp them out long before they could even enact their plans…."

"We both know how that turned out." He said with a small shake of his head. Shakti closed her eyes briefly, the images of burning buildings and screams for help flashes through her mind. With that information, she finally managed to put a finger on the feeling of familiarity that she got from him as she recalled just where she had seen him before.

"It's you. You were the Commander Of The West." Shakti said in realization.

"...Yes. Unfortunately." He admitted with a grimace. "I see that stupid name still hasn't vanished into the depts of obscurity."

"It's rather hard for people to forget you considering all that you had done for Orario during the Great Feud." Shakti said, smiling slightly at him.

"Tch. Anyway, once I realize that Evlius was slowly building itself back up, I've decided to stop being so apathetic. I got to work and hopefully help those fighting against the darkness to snuff them out for good. It's only to ensure that such evils can never run around so freely again, for the sake of everyone else. So, to answer your question, yes. I will help you. As long as you are fighting against evil and injustice in this world, you will have my support." He told her and she could feel the genuinity coming form his voice.

"It's a worthy cause." Shakti said. "We would be glad to have your help again."

"Yeah, yeah. Just keep these idiots off my lawn and we're good. And don't ever mention to anyone who I am. I want that stupid name gone and forgotten so you better not bring it back." She could also feel the genuine annoyance in his voice when he said that.

"Well then, I shall be taking my leave." He said as he push himself off the table.

"Wait!" Shakti tried to stop him. "What do we call you? You must have a name right? Even if it isn't you real one, you could at least give us something to call you by." It would be awkward to keep referring him as the mysterious informant now that they have met. And honestly, the long name is quite tiresome whenever her Familia is discussing about him.

"My, so many questions you have milady." He said with a small chuckle.

"Would you rather we keep calling you 'The Mysterious Informant' every time we met? Or would you rather I call you by the name everyone had given you three years ago?" Shakti replied dryly.

"Heh. You're a sassy young lass. Very well, you may call me…." He said as he simply reach out his hand towards the candle on the table. "Umbra." He said and snuff out the light.

Instantly, he was gone, vanished from her sight as the shadows rushed in from all sides when the light had been extingiushed. His parting words seem to echo in the room, as though he was everywhere at once.

They way he seem to vanish surprised her and she quickly move towards where she last had eyes on him. When she reached the table, she discovered that he had already left, not a trace to be seen. Momments later, she noticed that her vision was going back to normal and she could see well within the room again.

As she look around the room for any sign of Umbra, a single thought ran through her mind. _The way he melts into the shadows seem so familiar… Was he the same person that I had spotted all those months ago during the Rudra Familia incident as well? _

**-0-**

"Have you ever noticed that our mysterious informant only ever sends us information when I have a cup of coffee in my hand?" Modaka asked Iruta out of the blue while sitting at his desk in his office. It was a peaceful day and he had been busy going through the ungodly amount of paperwork with a tired look on his face. Tired because he hadn't had any coffee in a very long time. "I feel like he's specifically out to get me." He grumbled unhappily.

"Come on, you're being paranoid. Just because it happened a few times doesn't mean that he's out to get you." Iruta replied while working on her own.

"Tell that to all the cups I've already lost." Modaka said, looking at the opened window paranoidly. It's been left open now because it kept getting broken by arrows. While it solve the problem of their windows getting smashed but it create a new set of problem of wind blowing in and sending their papers everywhere. At least they solved that problem by using paperweight.

"Don't you think we're growing too reliant on this guy? We don't even know who he is or what his intentions are." Modaka said. They even had some of their members hide in possible spots that their mysterious informant could shoot his arrows from just to catch a glimpse of him.

But that effort was pointless because their informant would use another method to send their messages. The members that they had sent out actually had the messages taped onto their back instead, along with a note that says 'kick me' when they returned. What's unnerving is that none of them even noticed that they had the notes taped onto their backs at all.

"You're only saying that because you're being sore over your coffee Monaka." Iruta replied with a grin.

"That doesn't make it less true." Modaka replied, not even denying what Iruta had said.

"I know. But his information is insanely accurate and he seem to want to help us rather than harm us." Iruta pointed out. "Also, didn't Shakti already told us that he goes by the name Umbra and that he could be trusted?"

"Are siding with him because he's basically doing your job for you by finding Evilus hideouts for us to raid?"

"Yep." Iruta said with a smile. "I mean, it's a great partnership isn't it? We get very detailed information of where their latest base is and the people hiding there. So when we get there ourselves, we'll be more than prepared to take them all on. I think we've just about wipe them all out too."

"What makes you say that?" Modaka asked.

"Well, it's been a few days already and we still haven't received any new information from Umbra. Since he's been giving us new intel almost everyday, that could either mean that he had stopped, or that there's simply no more Evilus left for us to take down."

"Ha! Well guess what? It's because I haven't been drinking any coffee for those few days." Modaka replied smugly.

"That again? Come on Modaka, like I've said, you're being paranoid. Besides, it doesn't really prove anything. Just that you're paranoid without your coffee."

"I am not! I swear I can feel that guy is just waiting for me to take a sip of coffee before he send his message! I just know it!" Modana exclaimed while shooting his hands in the air.

"Mm-hmm" Iruta hummed non committedly and continued to work on her papers.

Modaka just sighed and got up.

"Where are you going?" Iruta asked.

"Toilet." Modaka said as he took his leave.

"Well, don't take too long. We still got plenty of paperwork to go through." Iruta said.

"Yeah, yeah." Modaka said and walks off.

Once he reached the toilet, he quickly entered it and locked it thight. He then quickly glanced around to spot any windows but found none within the room. With his area secured, he leant his back against the wall and broke out a smile.

He reached into his shirt and pulled out a thermos flask that he had been hiding there for the entire day. It wasn't a lie to say that he had been waiting for this moment excitedly for the entire day.

He carefully unscrewed the top open and immediately saw faint steam rising from the opening. He placed it near his nose and took a deep whiff. Immediately, he could feel his body relax as he inhaled the scent of caffeine. Well, there's also the scent of piss and shit mixed into it but who cares about that.

Modaka tried to control his excited giggling before he gingerly lift the flask to his mouth.

Then, it happened.

There was a faint thunk as the flask was shot out of his hand. Modaka could only look on with eyes widened in horror as the flask was knocked out of his grasp. He tried to catch it but another arrow struck it again in the air and it flew further away before his hand could touch it.

The flask hit the floor, it's contents spilling out completely and down into the drain it landed next to.

Modaka watched with a look of despair as the beverage for his soul was sent down the drain, literally.

Then the question came. Where did the arrow come from?

He traced the arrow's path and turned his head upwards just in time to see one of the ceiling tiles slip back into place.

It was then did Modaka knew, with absolute certainty, that their mysterious informant was out to get him. "DAMMMMMN YOUUUUUUUUU UMBRAAAAAAA!" Monaka's grievous cry echoed out in the toilet, earning his door weird looks from a few people that was passing by.

**-0-**

**AN: ****Oh wow! You're still here? I thought you would've gotten bored with how terrible this chapter is and left already. I'm ****actually quite**** touched.**

**As you can see, this entire chapter is the shortened version of my ideas. I can actually flesh them out more and there**** is actually quite a few more ideas ****I have**** but I think I can slot them into other chapters so it's all good. **

**I****magine how long it would take for me to release this chapter if I didn't ****shorten it****. We might end up with 40k words for a single chapter.**

**Now that this is done, let's go onward towards the leveling up portion of the story!**

****If you know the timeline then you can definitely guess what's about to happen ********next********.****

****-********0-****

**Name: Cain Musashi**

**Alias: **None (Official)

Umbra (Unofficial)

****Nickname: ****Kuro-Kun (By Tiona)

**Characteristics:**

**Race: **Human

**Age: **15

**Gender: **Male

**Hair Color: **Black

**Eye Color: **Black

**Height: **170cm

****Professional Status:****

**Affiliation: **Miach Familia

**Occupation: **Adventurer

**Achieved Floor: **

12 (Official)

14 (Unofficial, solo)

**Status:**

**LV:** 1

**Strength:** B 720

**Endurance:** E 410

**Dexterity:** B 736

**Agility:** A 850

**Magic:** F 301

**Magic:**

**Walking Armory**

**[Rapid Equip]**

-Stores Weapons, Armors And Equipment In A Subspace

**Skill:**

**Stealth**

**[One With The Shadows]**

-Makes One Harder To Detect

-Effects Increases When Hidden In The Shadows

-Effects Increases With One's Experience

**Weapon:**

Swords

Axes

Spears

Polearms

Daggers

Maces

Bow

**Equipment:**

Smoke Bombs

Pepper Bombs

Black Coat

Shields


End file.
